We have one more reference in Acts chapter 7 verse 35. We’re still going to have a reference to Moses, but now Stephen is the speaker and he is addressing the religious leaders of Israel. Stephen, just like Peter before him, is trying to convince these Hebrews that Jesus was the Christ. Yes, He’d been crucified, but God had raised Him from the dead and He is now alive and could still fulfill all those Old Testament promises. There’s not a word of God’s Grace in here yet. There’s not a word of the Gospel of Grace. There’s not a word in here about what we call Paul’s Gospel, of believing for redemption and salvation or the faith+nothing, that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again. Or that in God's eyes when we by trusting faith receive Jesus' body as our own that He sees us in Christ as one with Him, again, regenerated sanctified and made the righteousness of God by living faith. This is still dealing with the Hebrews.
Acts 7:35-38a "This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? The same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer (40 years later, remember) by the hand of the angel (the Lord) which appeared to him in the bush. 36 He brought them out, after that he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 37 This (speaking of Jesus of Nazareth, the one whom they had crucified) is that Moses, which said to the children of Jacob (Israel), A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up to you of your brethren (in other words, out of the Nation of Israel), like unto me (and as Moses was the deliverer, so Jesus of Nazareth was to be the deliverer of the Hebrews into the Kingdom promises); him shall you hear. 38 This is he, (this is Yehovah Who was in the midst of that assembly or) that was in the church in the wilderness…" In other words, Who was the pillar of cloud by day and the column of fire by night? It was Christ. Who was the pillar of fire by night? It was Christ. Who was the One that rained down manna for Israel? It was the Christ! Yehovah and Christ are but one and the same person!
Hebrews 3:1 "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;" Now we’re going to go into the word ‘profession.’ We are to consider, as we've pointed out, with all the intensity of our ability to concentrate, on this One. After all, we should! He’s the Creator! This is what so many people fail to realize, that the One whom we serve is the Creator of the universe!! He’s not just the carpenter’s son. He is the Creator of everything! He’s the Sustainer of everything. And so indeed, consider!!
My, how many people in this world never give a second thought to Christ Jesus? Not even a second thought. How many even think in terms of eternity? Not many. We’ve said it before, as we travel up and down the highways and the freeways and the mass of people coming in out of stadiums and ballparks and so forth, do they ever stop to ask yourselves, how many of them ever think about eternity? We don’t know, but we're guessing, it’s a precious, precious, small percentage. People today have no time for anything but the things of this world, the here and now of it. But for those of us who know better, who know this Creator as Lord and Savior, as the One Who suffered and died in our place, yes we can focus on Who He is. The Great Apostle, as well as the Great High Priest of our confession.
Now we've said the word "profession" can be enlarged upon and made more understandable with the word "confession." Because, after all, when we confess Him, what does it really amount to? We’re letting the world know that He is the One Who is the object of our faith. He is the object of our reason for living. Without Him, what are we? We’re nothing. Even though the world out there can be successful and they can make their millions, and they can make the headlines - but, when cancer strikes, they die like anybody else.
We always have to think of the founder of Walmart, Mr. Sam Walton, with all of his billions, yet when he was stricken with cancer, We're sure the family got him the best medical help that this world had to offer. But what happened? He slipped out into eternity. His billions could not cure the cancer. And so we have to constantly come back and be a realists. This world is not our home; we’re only here for just a little blink of time, and eternity is forever. And this is the whole purpose of God giving us the Word, so that we can be prepared for eternity. We don’t have to shrink from death any longer as we now just fall to sleep.
Even as the individual that we called in his hospital room. With tears in our heart and eyes, we could bid her goodbye. We knew she wasn’t on this world very much longer. But, we could also say, "We’ll see you again," because this is the blessed hope that we have as believers. Death isn’t the end. It’s just a little stopgap, and then one day we’re going to be with our loved ones for all eternity. If they're believers in the resurrected Christ Jesus and have accepted His ministry as the Spiritual LORD of spirits.
Now for a moment, come back to Ephesians chapter 2. Here Paul has just listed the appetites and things of this world that plagued us while we were still in unbelief. And while we were steeped in the old Adamic lusts of the flesh, and as he says in the closing words of verse 3:
Ephesians 2:3b "...and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." What’s the first word of verse 4? Here comes the biggy!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part LIII
Now in Matthew 15, most of us know the account of the Canaanite woman. And we almost have to take all of it; otherwise it just doesn’t make sense. So let’s start at verse 21. And this is taking place during His earthly ministry.
Matthew 15:21-26 "Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts (or the borders, or city limits) of Tyre & Sidon. (Roman cities up there on the Mediterranean Sea coast.) 22. And, behold, a woman of Canaan (a Gentile, she was not a member of the tribes of Israel) came out of the same coasts, (in other words, the cities of Tyre & Sidon) and cried to him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, you son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23. But he (the Lord Jesus) answered her (how much?) not a word. (He never even responded that he had even heard her.) And his disciples (The Twelve) came and besought him saying, Send her away; for she cries after us. 24. But he answered and said, (in her hearing) I am not sent (now underline that word sent) but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25. Then came she and worshiped him, saying Lord, help me. (And again he gave the answer, which tells us so clearly that he was under the old covenant responsibility. He could not betray the promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.) 26. But he answered and said, It is not meet (it’s not right or fit) to take the children’s (the Hebrews bread) bread, and to cast it to dogs."(the term used for the gentiles by the Hebrews.) Now goodness sakes, we trust we’ve all been in Church and Sunday School long enough. Who were the children that Jesus is referring to? The Hebrews or Israel, the Jewish people! They were God’s covenant people, the children! And who were the dogs? The Gentiles! Those not counted worthy of God's attention as they were only sinners, outsiders. And so the picture was God’s table of material blessings.
What does the Psalms 23 say? What does David say about the Lord’s table? It was set before him. Now that wasn’t a table of meat and potatoes and vegetables or any of the other Jewish kosher foods. What was he referring to? The (soon coming spiritual blessings, which they had turned a deft ear to) material blessings that Israel was positioned to partake of. That was part of their being in the covenant promises. They feasted at the Lord’s table. Now we can see the Lord brings that all the way up out of Psalms 23 into his earthly ministry and He said, "It’s not right for Me to take the things from the Lord’s table that is for Israel and give it to you Gentiles." He couldn’t do that! Because he was under the covenant promises and the requirements of the Law and the Prophets. He was there to bring to a close over 100 prophecies about Himself as these were the "last of days or the end of days".
But this is one of those exceptions in His earthly ministry, that He condescended to a Gentile and He finally gives in and He says:
Matthew 15:28 "Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith: be it unto you even as you will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." Now the only other Gentile that this happened to, was the Roman Centurion on behalf of his son. Jesus had nothing to do with the Gentile. He couldn’t because He was under those covenant promises and He was sent by God the Father to fulfill those promises. Now another companion verse, of course, is in Matthew chapter 10 and again this is the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry.
Matthew 10:1a "And when he had called to him his twelve disciples,…" And then it names them. Now come all the way down to verse 5.
Matthew 10:5-6 "These twelve Jesus sent forth, (that’s why they’re called apostles) and commanded them, saying, Go not (see how plain this is. We’d say it in our English vernacular, do not go) into the way of the Gentiles, and (do not go) into any city of the Samaritans enter you not. 6. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Now good heavens, that’s plain English. There’s no gobbledygook here. There’s no way of twisting this to make it mean something else. It says what it means and it means what it says. Jesus said, "do not go to a Gentile. Do not go to a Samaritan. These promises are given only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel because of the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." And as we read the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and all the rest, they never write to the Gentile world. They write to the Nation of Israel. And so everything was directed according to these covenant promises.
Now let’s go all the way to Acts chapter 3 and Peter is now preaching shortly after the day of Pentecost. Chapter 2 is the day of Pentecost but now we're going to take a look into chapter 3, which is just a very short time later. Let’s drop in at verses 22 and 23, and now remember, what’s Peter’s purpose of preaching this message? To convince his Hebrew listeners, shortly after Christ’s earthly ministry, that the one they crucified was the promised Christ, their Messiah, the prophet like unto Moses. He was the promised Messiah, but God raised Him from the dead and so we haven’t stopped God’s program. It’s all been made ready now. The work of redemption has been accomplished and He’s alive and He can yet fulfill all the Old Testament promises remaining. Plain as day isn’t it? Now look at what Peter says.
Acts 3:22-23 "For Moses (see how he goes back to the Old Testament) truly said to the fathers, (now who were the fathers? The tribal leaders of Israel, the Twelve Tribes) A prophet (an apostle) shall the Lord your God raise up unto you (not the whole world yet, to the Hebrews) of your brethren, (in other words, he was born of the Jewish family of Joseph and Mary) like unto me (now Moses was speaking of himself as a Hebrew, raised up out of one of the twelve tribes of Jacob); him shall you hear (Peter said, quoting it from Moses) in all things whatsoever he (that is, the Messiah, the sent prophet) shall say to you. 23. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, (that Jesus of Nazareth) shall be destroyed (or removed from the scene) from among the people."(Deuteronomy 18:15-19) Now what’s he saying? The Hebrews were under a tremendous responsibility to believe that this carpenter’s son, once he proved it with signs and wonders and miracles, was the promised Messiah. And if they couldn’t believe it they would be removed from Israel, and of course, we know that’s what happened. And when they cried for His crucifixion and they said let His blood be upon us, they didn’t know what they were saying. And for 2000 years the Hebrew people have been suffering immeasurably. We were reading a book again the other night just detailing the suffering of the Hebrew people for the last 2000 years. It is beyond human comprehension. Of course the holocaust was the epitome of all that. Which by the way forced them to return to their home lands as laid out in scripture.
Matthew 15:21-26 "Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts (or the borders, or city limits) of Tyre & Sidon. (Roman cities up there on the Mediterranean Sea coast.) 22. And, behold, a woman of Canaan (a Gentile, she was not a member of the tribes of Israel) came out of the same coasts, (in other words, the cities of Tyre & Sidon) and cried to him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, you son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23. But he (the Lord Jesus) answered her (how much?) not a word. (He never even responded that he had even heard her.) And his disciples (The Twelve) came and besought him saying, Send her away; for she cries after us. 24. But he answered and said, (in her hearing) I am not sent (now underline that word sent) but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25. Then came she and worshiped him, saying Lord, help me. (And again he gave the answer, which tells us so clearly that he was under the old covenant responsibility. He could not betray the promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.) 26. But he answered and said, It is not meet (it’s not right or fit) to take the children’s (the Hebrews bread) bread, and to cast it to dogs."(the term used for the gentiles by the Hebrews.) Now goodness sakes, we trust we’ve all been in Church and Sunday School long enough. Who were the children that Jesus is referring to? The Hebrews or Israel, the Jewish people! They were God’s covenant people, the children! And who were the dogs? The Gentiles! Those not counted worthy of God's attention as they were only sinners, outsiders. And so the picture was God’s table of material blessings.
What does the Psalms 23 say? What does David say about the Lord’s table? It was set before him. Now that wasn’t a table of meat and potatoes and vegetables or any of the other Jewish kosher foods. What was he referring to? The (soon coming spiritual blessings, which they had turned a deft ear to) material blessings that Israel was positioned to partake of. That was part of their being in the covenant promises. They feasted at the Lord’s table. Now we can see the Lord brings that all the way up out of Psalms 23 into his earthly ministry and He said, "It’s not right for Me to take the things from the Lord’s table that is for Israel and give it to you Gentiles." He couldn’t do that! Because he was under the covenant promises and the requirements of the Law and the Prophets. He was there to bring to a close over 100 prophecies about Himself as these were the "last of days or the end of days".
But this is one of those exceptions in His earthly ministry, that He condescended to a Gentile and He finally gives in and He says:
Matthew 15:28 "Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith: be it unto you even as you will. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." Now the only other Gentile that this happened to, was the Roman Centurion on behalf of his son. Jesus had nothing to do with the Gentile. He couldn’t because He was under those covenant promises and He was sent by God the Father to fulfill those promises. Now another companion verse, of course, is in Matthew chapter 10 and again this is the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry.
Matthew 10:1a "And when he had called to him his twelve disciples,…" And then it names them. Now come all the way down to verse 5.
Matthew 10:5-6 "These twelve Jesus sent forth, (that’s why they’re called apostles) and commanded them, saying, Go not (see how plain this is. We’d say it in our English vernacular, do not go) into the way of the Gentiles, and (do not go) into any city of the Samaritans enter you not. 6. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Now good heavens, that’s plain English. There’s no gobbledygook here. There’s no way of twisting this to make it mean something else. It says what it means and it means what it says. Jesus said, "do not go to a Gentile. Do not go to a Samaritan. These promises are given only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel because of the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." And as we read the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and all the rest, they never write to the Gentile world. They write to the Nation of Israel. And so everything was directed according to these covenant promises.
Now let’s go all the way to Acts chapter 3 and Peter is now preaching shortly after the day of Pentecost. Chapter 2 is the day of Pentecost but now we're going to take a look into chapter 3, which is just a very short time later. Let’s drop in at verses 22 and 23, and now remember, what’s Peter’s purpose of preaching this message? To convince his Hebrew listeners, shortly after Christ’s earthly ministry, that the one they crucified was the promised Christ, their Messiah, the prophet like unto Moses. He was the promised Messiah, but God raised Him from the dead and so we haven’t stopped God’s program. It’s all been made ready now. The work of redemption has been accomplished and He’s alive and He can yet fulfill all the Old Testament promises remaining. Plain as day isn’t it? Now look at what Peter says.
Acts 3:22-23 "For Moses (see how he goes back to the Old Testament) truly said to the fathers, (now who were the fathers? The tribal leaders of Israel, the Twelve Tribes) A prophet (an apostle) shall the Lord your God raise up unto you (not the whole world yet, to the Hebrews) of your brethren, (in other words, he was born of the Jewish family of Joseph and Mary) like unto me (now Moses was speaking of himself as a Hebrew, raised up out of one of the twelve tribes of Jacob); him shall you hear (Peter said, quoting it from Moses) in all things whatsoever he (that is, the Messiah, the sent prophet) shall say to you. 23. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, (that Jesus of Nazareth) shall be destroyed (or removed from the scene) from among the people."(Deuteronomy 18:15-19) Now what’s he saying? The Hebrews were under a tremendous responsibility to believe that this carpenter’s son, once he proved it with signs and wonders and miracles, was the promised Messiah. And if they couldn’t believe it they would be removed from Israel, and of course, we know that’s what happened. And when they cried for His crucifixion and they said let His blood be upon us, they didn’t know what they were saying. And for 2000 years the Hebrew people have been suffering immeasurably. We were reading a book again the other night just detailing the suffering of the Hebrew people for the last 2000 years. It is beyond human comprehension. Of course the holocaust was the epitome of all that. Which by the way forced them to return to their home lands as laid out in scripture.
Friday, April 20, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part LII
Colossians 1:20-21 "And, having made peace (see, that’s the whole idea of reconciliation isn’t it? When people have been estranged - my, imagine when they get together they can fight like cats and dogs, but if we can reconcile them and let love take over, then you see we can have the same thing we see here, having made peace) through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile (bring back together) all things unto Himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21. And you, (speaking to Gentiles in particular though not discounting the Hebrews) that were sometime alienated and enemies (of God) in your mind by wicked works, (nobody knew how to be wicked better than the Gentiles of Paul’s day. I mean they were practiced at it but then too were the Hebrews) yet now has he reconciled." They have been brought unto Himself, and that’s what faith and faith alone can do!
Hebrews 3:1a Wherefore, (because of what we have already established) holy brethren,…" Now here we’re not talking just simply to the Hebrews in the flesh, but we’re talking to believers who are brethren in Christ, because we’re sure Paul wrote this and so Paul is going to be constantly, by innuendo, if not by direct statement, bringing in the position of the Grace Age believer, saved as we are by faith in that finished work of the Cross. So he speaks of them as brethren in Christ not just as brethren in the flesh as Hebrews. Then he says:
Hebrews 3:1a "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,..."
Most people don't understood this concept - and that was that Israel was God’s earthly people, we in the Church Age are God’s heavenly people. And there’s that much distinction as ones an earthly (practical) lot and the others are to be a spiritual (divine) lot.
God’s earthly people, the Hebrews, were associated with all the earthly promises of materialism, Aaron's priesthood, the Levities. And all we have to do is just stop and think for a moment. Abraham, was he rich or poor? According to the economy of their day he was wealthy. All that wealth went right on to the next one, Isaac. And by the time Isaac finishes his sojourn on earth where does all that wealth go? To Jacob. And so indeed they were blessed with material blessings and so the Hebrews were admonished throughout the Old Testament history that if they were obedient, God blessed them. When they were disobedient, God chastised them in the area of the physical and the material realms.
But see, we don’t live under that kind of format in this Age of Grace. God may bless us materially, but He isn’t duty bound to. We're still getting the crumbs that fall off the Lords table, as the Hebrews were the honored guests. There’s nothing in Paul’s writings that said if we do good He’ll make us a millionaire. That’s not in there. All our promises, all our blessings are heavenly and, consequently, we do not get tied to the earthly things. The every things that we've been set free from, unless we follow a twisted gospel of mans design. If God sees fit to bless us, great, but if not, we’re not going to complain, because our riches are waiting for us. We don’t care if we do have to go through 50, 60, 70, or 80 years with little of this world’s goods, the eternity that is waiting for us is more than worth it. Alright, so he says that we are:
Hebrews 3:1b "…Partakers of the heavenly calling..." Even these Hebrew believers. Now we don’t want to lose sight of the fact that the Epistle of Hebrews is written to Hebrew believers. When we started this Epistle of Hebrews, do we remember what was said there is no Roman Road in the Epistle of Hebrews? There’s no plan of salvation laid out so clearly like it is in Romans or Galatians, but it is a letter written to Hebrew believers who had been steeped in Judaism, the religion of the Jews. And anytime, we don’t care whether it’s Hebrew or Gentile, whether it was then or now, whenever someone tries to make that break with "religion," it is tough. It is not easy to turn your back on something that has been drummed into you since you were old enough to walk.
That was the lot of these Hebrew believers that Paul is addressing. They had come out of Judaism, they had made the break and now they’re having second thoughts. Is this Jesus of Nazareth really Who He said He was? Is He really the Messiah, the Redeemer of mankind? And so this is the thrust of this Epistle of Hebrews. Here again, Paul says that even these Hebrew believers, having come out of the legalism of religion of Judaism, are now partakers of the heavenly calling. And we’ll be pointing to that a little later verse of this chapter, how that we are already citizens of heaven and we have that heavenly connection. Its for this reason that we're not repeat not to have anything to do with religionized holy-days or Holidays, we're to honor the cross and our LORD High Priest Christ Jesus the Glorified ONE. For it is He who is head of the Church not a mere man or organization.
Alright, so now he says we who are partakers of this heavenly calling, the next word is rather a blasé word in our English and that’s unfortunate, the word is:
Hebrews 3:1c "...consider..." In the Greek it means: with all the attention that you can muster, focus on this man from Glory, the Apostle of our confession, which another word would be the Great Prophet or the Messiah. Now don’t take that word "consider" lightly. In the Greek it just can’t emphasize it enough. What we have to do? We have to focus on it or we’d miss it.
Now it's not just a casual scanning, it is focusing in. Now we think that’s a good way of explaining this. We are to just focus in on this Man from Glory, the Carpenter of Nazareth, Who is the Eternal Sovereign Creator, God of the universe. So now as partakers of this heavenly calling we are to focus in with all that’s at our disposal, with our wholehearted attention. So reading the verse again.
Hebrews 3:1 "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostles and High Priest of our (confession is a better word than) profession, Christ Jesus;" Now of course we all know, we trust, that the word ‘Christ’ in the English, is ‘Messiah’ in the Greek. The Messiah, Jesus. And that of course, comes out of all the promises of the Old Testament. So let’s look at it again. We are to consider, we’re to focus in with everything of Him being our Great Apostle. Notice to that Paul says it in His resurrection state or order, that puts of Christ first and then His earthy name Jesus, He “IS” now Christ and this comes from what He told Moses in the burning bush back in Exodus chapter 3 verse 14 where it is recorded “God said to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM": and he said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, "I AM" has sent me to you.”
Now we're going to wait for the High Priesthood until we get a little later into Hebrews, especially chapter 7, but for now we're going to let the High Priesthood just sort of sit and we’re going to look at this word ‘apostle.’ Normally we don’t think of Jesus as an apostle and it even shook us up, and we knew He was Prophet, Priest and King but we never really heard or thought of Him as an Apostle.
Well the word means the same thing. An apostle in the Greek is really someone who was "sent," in other words the Twelve. What did Jesus do? He sent them. When the Apostle Paul was commissioned in the Book of Acts what did the Lord tell him? "I’m going to send you far hence to the Gentiles." Now we have the same concept here then concerning Christ. He was "sent." Well, Who sent him?
Let’s go all the way back to Deuteronomy because, after all, the Old Testament fits with the New and we can’t separate them. The old was concealed where the New reveals what was concealed in the old. (Deuteronomy 29:29) Come back to Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 15.
Deuteronomy 18:15-17 "The Lord your God (the Father) will raise up unto you a Prophet (or we could say from the Epistle of Hebrews, an Apostle) from the midst of you, of your brethren, like unto me; (Moses is speaking) to him you shall hearken: 16. according to all that you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb (that’s the other word for Mount Sinai) in the day of the assembly (when they were gathered around the mount) saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17. The Lord said to me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken." Now verse 18. God says to Moses. (Ancient Hebrew picture is a seed in side a tent, which means a seed inside of a body, or a spoken word of inspiration received within the heart of man. A fruit formed inside of man to produce what was not otherwise unknown. To have a knowledge of or understanding not other wise known.)
Deuteronomy 18:18 "I will raise them up a Prophet (an apostle, someone that I am sending) from among their brethren, (now the word ‘brethren’ here is talking about the Nation of Israel, the Hebrews from whence Christ came.) like unto you (Moses) and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I (the Yehovah say) shall command him." See how clear that is? Now verse 19.
Deuteronomy 18:19 " And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken (or listen) to my words which he shall speak in my name, (God says) I will require it of him." (Hebrews 12: 25-26)
Alright, now to pick up that "being sent" concept, let’s go all the way up to Matthew and again we're using this for more than one reason and that is, Jesus came only to the Nation of Israel to fulfill all the Old Testament promises, the Law and prophecies, some people get all shook up. They say, "Then what do you do with John 3:16? That doesn’t say He sent Him to Israel, it says that He sent Him to the whole world." We said, "He came first to the Nation of Israel and when the Hebrews rejected Him, then yes, He became the Savior of the whole world. But in His original ministry, He came only to the Nation of Israel, the Hebrews." They were still scattered throughout the known world at that day and time, limited as it was.
Now in Matthew 15, most of us know the account of the Canaanite woman. And we almost have to take all of it; otherwise it just doesn’t make sense. So let’s start at verse 21. And this is taking place during His earthly ministry.
Hebrews 3:1a Wherefore, (because of what we have already established) holy brethren,…" Now here we’re not talking just simply to the Hebrews in the flesh, but we’re talking to believers who are brethren in Christ, because we’re sure Paul wrote this and so Paul is going to be constantly, by innuendo, if not by direct statement, bringing in the position of the Grace Age believer, saved as we are by faith in that finished work of the Cross. So he speaks of them as brethren in Christ not just as brethren in the flesh as Hebrews. Then he says:
Hebrews 3:1a "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,..."
Most people don't understood this concept - and that was that Israel was God’s earthly people, we in the Church Age are God’s heavenly people. And there’s that much distinction as ones an earthly (practical) lot and the others are to be a spiritual (divine) lot.
God’s earthly people, the Hebrews, were associated with all the earthly promises of materialism, Aaron's priesthood, the Levities. And all we have to do is just stop and think for a moment. Abraham, was he rich or poor? According to the economy of their day he was wealthy. All that wealth went right on to the next one, Isaac. And by the time Isaac finishes his sojourn on earth where does all that wealth go? To Jacob. And so indeed they were blessed with material blessings and so the Hebrews were admonished throughout the Old Testament history that if they were obedient, God blessed them. When they were disobedient, God chastised them in the area of the physical and the material realms.
But see, we don’t live under that kind of format in this Age of Grace. God may bless us materially, but He isn’t duty bound to. We're still getting the crumbs that fall off the Lords table, as the Hebrews were the honored guests. There’s nothing in Paul’s writings that said if we do good He’ll make us a millionaire. That’s not in there. All our promises, all our blessings are heavenly and, consequently, we do not get tied to the earthly things. The every things that we've been set free from, unless we follow a twisted gospel of mans design. If God sees fit to bless us, great, but if not, we’re not going to complain, because our riches are waiting for us. We don’t care if we do have to go through 50, 60, 70, or 80 years with little of this world’s goods, the eternity that is waiting for us is more than worth it. Alright, so he says that we are:
Hebrews 3:1b "…Partakers of the heavenly calling..." Even these Hebrew believers. Now we don’t want to lose sight of the fact that the Epistle of Hebrews is written to Hebrew believers. When we started this Epistle of Hebrews, do we remember what was said there is no Roman Road in the Epistle of Hebrews? There’s no plan of salvation laid out so clearly like it is in Romans or Galatians, but it is a letter written to Hebrew believers who had been steeped in Judaism, the religion of the Jews. And anytime, we don’t care whether it’s Hebrew or Gentile, whether it was then or now, whenever someone tries to make that break with "religion," it is tough. It is not easy to turn your back on something that has been drummed into you since you were old enough to walk.
That was the lot of these Hebrew believers that Paul is addressing. They had come out of Judaism, they had made the break and now they’re having second thoughts. Is this Jesus of Nazareth really Who He said He was? Is He really the Messiah, the Redeemer of mankind? And so this is the thrust of this Epistle of Hebrews. Here again, Paul says that even these Hebrew believers, having come out of the legalism of religion of Judaism, are now partakers of the heavenly calling. And we’ll be pointing to that a little later verse of this chapter, how that we are already citizens of heaven and we have that heavenly connection. Its for this reason that we're not repeat not to have anything to do with religionized holy-days or Holidays, we're to honor the cross and our LORD High Priest Christ Jesus the Glorified ONE. For it is He who is head of the Church not a mere man or organization.
Alright, so now he says we who are partakers of this heavenly calling, the next word is rather a blasé word in our English and that’s unfortunate, the word is:
Hebrews 3:1c "...consider..." In the Greek it means: with all the attention that you can muster, focus on this man from Glory, the Apostle of our confession, which another word would be the Great Prophet or the Messiah. Now don’t take that word "consider" lightly. In the Greek it just can’t emphasize it enough. What we have to do? We have to focus on it or we’d miss it.
Now it's not just a casual scanning, it is focusing in. Now we think that’s a good way of explaining this. We are to just focus in on this Man from Glory, the Carpenter of Nazareth, Who is the Eternal Sovereign Creator, God of the universe. So now as partakers of this heavenly calling we are to focus in with all that’s at our disposal, with our wholehearted attention. So reading the verse again.
Hebrews 3:1 "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostles and High Priest of our (confession is a better word than) profession, Christ Jesus;" Now of course we all know, we trust, that the word ‘Christ’ in the English, is ‘Messiah’ in the Greek. The Messiah, Jesus. And that of course, comes out of all the promises of the Old Testament. So let’s look at it again. We are to consider, we’re to focus in with everything of Him being our Great Apostle. Notice to that Paul says it in His resurrection state or order, that puts of Christ first and then His earthy name Jesus, He “IS” now Christ and this comes from what He told Moses in the burning bush back in Exodus chapter 3 verse 14 where it is recorded “God said to Moses, "I AM THAT I AM": and he said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, "I AM" has sent me to you.”
Now we're going to wait for the High Priesthood until we get a little later into Hebrews, especially chapter 7, but for now we're going to let the High Priesthood just sort of sit and we’re going to look at this word ‘apostle.’ Normally we don’t think of Jesus as an apostle and it even shook us up, and we knew He was Prophet, Priest and King but we never really heard or thought of Him as an Apostle.
Well the word means the same thing. An apostle in the Greek is really someone who was "sent," in other words the Twelve. What did Jesus do? He sent them. When the Apostle Paul was commissioned in the Book of Acts what did the Lord tell him? "I’m going to send you far hence to the Gentiles." Now we have the same concept here then concerning Christ. He was "sent." Well, Who sent him?
Let’s go all the way back to Deuteronomy because, after all, the Old Testament fits with the New and we can’t separate them. The old was concealed where the New reveals what was concealed in the old. (Deuteronomy 29:29) Come back to Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 15.
Deuteronomy 18:15-17 "The Lord your God (the Father) will raise up unto you a Prophet (or we could say from the Epistle of Hebrews, an Apostle) from the midst of you, of your brethren, like unto me; (Moses is speaking) to him you shall hearken: 16. according to all that you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb (that’s the other word for Mount Sinai) in the day of the assembly (when they were gathered around the mount) saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not. 17. The Lord said to me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken." Now verse 18. God says to Moses. (Ancient Hebrew picture is a seed in side a tent, which means a seed inside of a body, or a spoken word of inspiration received within the heart of man. A fruit formed inside of man to produce what was not otherwise unknown. To have a knowledge of or understanding not other wise known.)
Deuteronomy 18:18 "I will raise them up a Prophet (an apostle, someone that I am sending) from among their brethren, (now the word ‘brethren’ here is talking about the Nation of Israel, the Hebrews from whence Christ came.) like unto you (Moses) and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I (the Yehovah say) shall command him." See how clear that is? Now verse 19.
Deuteronomy 18:19 " And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken (or listen) to my words which he shall speak in my name, (God says) I will require it of him." (Hebrews 12: 25-26)
Alright, now to pick up that "being sent" concept, let’s go all the way up to Matthew and again we're using this for more than one reason and that is, Jesus came only to the Nation of Israel to fulfill all the Old Testament promises, the Law and prophecies, some people get all shook up. They say, "Then what do you do with John 3:16? That doesn’t say He sent Him to Israel, it says that He sent Him to the whole world." We said, "He came first to the Nation of Israel and when the Hebrews rejected Him, then yes, He became the Savior of the whole world. But in His original ministry, He came only to the Nation of Israel, the Hebrews." They were still scattered throughout the known world at that day and time, limited as it was.
Now in Matthew 15, most of us know the account of the Canaanite woman. And we almost have to take all of it; otherwise it just doesn’t make sense. So let’s start at verse 21. And this is taking place during His earthly ministry.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part LI
II Corinthians 5:17-19a "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: (it’s the new birth) old things are passed away; (the old lifestyle, the old habits, the old desires, the nature of the fallen first Adam) behold, all things are become new. (and here comes our word in verse 18.) And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself (How?) by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19. to wit, (that is to say) that God, (the Triune, Creator God) was in Christ,…" Now let’s back that up with another Scripture, Colossians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9. Now remember why we’re going to Colossians, we have been reconciled by the God Who was in Christ.
Colossians 2:8-9 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men (the Jewish religion and other idolic types), after the rudiments of the world(world based religions), and not after Christ. (now here it comes in verse) 9. For in him (Christ) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead (how?) bodily." Do you see how plain that is? Now fit the two together. In Christ sits the whole Godhead bodily according to Colossians, but now coming back to II Corinthians chapter 5, and it’s in the reverse word form, but it’s the same meaning.
II Corinthians 5:19 "To wit, that God was in Christ, (how much of God? All of Him! The whole Triune God, the Father the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all embodied in God the Son, and as such then) reconciling (or bring that estranged mass of humanity) the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us (we think here Paul not only speaks to himself, but all that believe in their position IN Christ) the word of reconciliation." Now verse 20, and to us this is a far more sensible commission than anything in the Four Gospels. This is something that we can set our teeth into without question.
II Corinthians 5:20a "Now then (we as a believer have the message of reconciliation) we are ambassadors for Christ,…" Now again we need some definition don’t we? What’s an ambassador? And ambassador is someone living in a foreign country, but he’s a representative of his home country, we all know that. Well what are we according to this, well we’re ambassadors, as that’s so true, so where is our home? In heaven! Our citizenship Paul tells us, is in heaven, and we’re strangers, we’re in foreign territory, so what are we then? We’re ambassadors? We’re not in our home territory, we’re in a strange, dark and hostile country, so we’re ambassadors for Christ. Continuing on with verse 20.
II Corinthians 5:20b "…through God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ’s stead,…" So we pray in Christ’s place, since He’s ascended to glory, and since He’s now imputed this responsibility, He’s given us the Scriptures, the power of the Holy Spirit, that every one of us can be an ambassador. That doesn’t mean we’re all preachers, or teachers or missionaries, but rather we’re playing the role of an ambassador to reflect Christ. To act as an aid or helper in revealing the Truth in the power or authority which we receive by the Holy Spirit. So everywhere we go we should be reflecting the Lord Jesus with our language, with our appetite, with our lifestyle, because the world can tell. Hey don’t tell us they can’t tell. Where ever we would work people would ask us, “what is so different about you?”, and we know that the guys would come up and say, "What have you got?" And we're not a goody, goody gum drop or anything like that, but people just knew that we were different.
II Corinthians 5:20c "… be reconciled to God." Don’t go through life estranged, don’t go out into eternity estranged, but be reconciled to God, and be brought back into that right relationship with Jesus the Christ, the God of glory. Now Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians 2:16. Where once again we have this word reconciliation.
Ephesians 2:14 "For he (Christ) is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us;" Now here Paul is speaking as a Hebrew, and that God has taken away that partition in the temple area as it was mostly made known between the Hebrew and Gentile. That partition is no longer there. It was rent or torn from top to bottom by God while Jesus was on the cross and just after He said, "It is Finished", all His assigned works were done. He had finished or satisfied all the legal requirements of the Law and the Prophets. Oh! the Hebrews sowed the thing back up and rehung it but that has not changed what God in Christ has accomplished for all.
Ephesians 2:15-18 "Having abolished in his flesh (that is through the work of the cross) the enmity, even the law of commandments, contained in ordinances; (that’s all been abolished as they were hostile toward God) for to make in himself of twain (the two, Hebrew and Gentile) one new man, (that’s the uniqueness of the Body of Christ, the secret held by God) so making peace; 16. and that he might reconcile both (not just Gentile or just the Hebrew, but both) unto God in one body (there’s not a separate Body of believers for the Hebrews and a separate Body for Gentiles, as we all come in on the same level playing field, and we become one in the Body of Christ with Christ again as at the first) by the cross, (and through the work of the cross, what has He done? The very thing that He had set His mind to doing) having slain the enmity thereby: 17. and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, (Gentiles) and to them that were nigh(the Hebrews). 18. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." Now, we’ve got one more in Colossians chapter 1.
We're not the kind that keep constantly pushing at people. No way, we're not that way, but we maintain that we can reflect the Lord Jesus with just simply our everyday behavior, our language, and the things that we talk about, the things that we think about, and every believer can be that kind of an ambassador. Now completing the verse.
Colossians 2:8-9 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men (the Jewish religion and other idolic types), after the rudiments of the world(world based religions), and not after Christ. (now here it comes in verse) 9. For in him (Christ) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead (how?) bodily." Do you see how plain that is? Now fit the two together. In Christ sits the whole Godhead bodily according to Colossians, but now coming back to II Corinthians chapter 5, and it’s in the reverse word form, but it’s the same meaning.
II Corinthians 5:19 "To wit, that God was in Christ, (how much of God? All of Him! The whole Triune God, the Father the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all embodied in God the Son, and as such then) reconciling (or bring that estranged mass of humanity) the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us (we think here Paul not only speaks to himself, but all that believe in their position IN Christ) the word of reconciliation." Now verse 20, and to us this is a far more sensible commission than anything in the Four Gospels. This is something that we can set our teeth into without question.
II Corinthians 5:20a "Now then (we as a believer have the message of reconciliation) we are ambassadors for Christ,…" Now again we need some definition don’t we? What’s an ambassador? And ambassador is someone living in a foreign country, but he’s a representative of his home country, we all know that. Well what are we according to this, well we’re ambassadors, as that’s so true, so where is our home? In heaven! Our citizenship Paul tells us, is in heaven, and we’re strangers, we’re in foreign territory, so what are we then? We’re ambassadors? We’re not in our home territory, we’re in a strange, dark and hostile country, so we’re ambassadors for Christ. Continuing on with verse 20.
II Corinthians 5:20b "…through God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ’s stead,…" So we pray in Christ’s place, since He’s ascended to glory, and since He’s now imputed this responsibility, He’s given us the Scriptures, the power of the Holy Spirit, that every one of us can be an ambassador. That doesn’t mean we’re all preachers, or teachers or missionaries, but rather we’re playing the role of an ambassador to reflect Christ. To act as an aid or helper in revealing the Truth in the power or authority which we receive by the Holy Spirit. So everywhere we go we should be reflecting the Lord Jesus with our language, with our appetite, with our lifestyle, because the world can tell. Hey don’t tell us they can’t tell. Where ever we would work people would ask us, “what is so different about you?”, and we know that the guys would come up and say, "What have you got?" And we're not a goody, goody gum drop or anything like that, but people just knew that we were different.
II Corinthians 5:20c "… be reconciled to God." Don’t go through life estranged, don’t go out into eternity estranged, but be reconciled to God, and be brought back into that right relationship with Jesus the Christ, the God of glory. Now Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians 2:16. Where once again we have this word reconciliation.
Ephesians 2:14 "For he (Christ) is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between us;" Now here Paul is speaking as a Hebrew, and that God has taken away that partition in the temple area as it was mostly made known between the Hebrew and Gentile. That partition is no longer there. It was rent or torn from top to bottom by God while Jesus was on the cross and just after He said, "It is Finished", all His assigned works were done. He had finished or satisfied all the legal requirements of the Law and the Prophets. Oh! the Hebrews sowed the thing back up and rehung it but that has not changed what God in Christ has accomplished for all.
Ephesians 2:15-18 "Having abolished in his flesh (that is through the work of the cross) the enmity, even the law of commandments, contained in ordinances; (that’s all been abolished as they were hostile toward God) for to make in himself of twain (the two, Hebrew and Gentile) one new man, (that’s the uniqueness of the Body of Christ, the secret held by God) so making peace; 16. and that he might reconcile both (not just Gentile or just the Hebrew, but both) unto God in one body (there’s not a separate Body of believers for the Hebrews and a separate Body for Gentiles, as we all come in on the same level playing field, and we become one in the Body of Christ with Christ again as at the first) by the cross, (and through the work of the cross, what has He done? The very thing that He had set His mind to doing) having slain the enmity thereby: 17. and came and preached peace to you which were afar off, (Gentiles) and to them that were nigh(the Hebrews). 18. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." Now, we’ve got one more in Colossians chapter 1.
We're not the kind that keep constantly pushing at people. No way, we're not that way, but we maintain that we can reflect the Lord Jesus with just simply our everyday behavior, our language, and the things that we talk about, the things that we think about, and every believer can be that kind of an ambassador. Now completing the verse.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part L
He became not just a man but He became a Hebrew. We're always emphasizing that in Christ’s earthly ministry, how did He live? He lived under the Law. He went to the synagogue on the sabbath day just like any other Hebrews, and He kept the Law. Oh, a lot of times they accused Him of not keeping it, but nevertheless, He kept the Law in all of its purity as a Hebrew. So, the Apostle Paul is appealing to these Hebrew people on that basis, that this One that he is lifting up in all of His power and glory was from the seed of Abraham. Verse 17 again.
Hebrews 2:17a Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, (like the children of Israel, the people He chose to come through as those of their forefathers where deemed righteous ones for they all believed God) that he might be a merciful and faithful (now a word is going to pop up for the first time in Hebrews and what is it?) high priest…"
We haven’t seen that before. Do you see how the Scripture builds? See, we’re going to be getting into the priesthood here in Hebrews and it’s not going to be the Aaronic priesthood (dealing with the external or material realm), but rather it’s going to be Melchizedek (the internal and spiritual realm). And Melchizedek was not the priest of Israel, but rather He was the priest of the Most High God, which was reference to what people? Gentiles. That’s why the verse we looked at in the last posting was Deuteronomy 32:8, what did it say?
Deuteronomy 32:8 "When the most High (the term of God concerning Gentiles) divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel." So the Most High is the term of Deity that reflects on the Gentile world. Now here in Hebrews chapter 2 is the first mention of a high priest in this book.
Hebrews 2:17b "…that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." Now that word reconciliation, if we're not mistaken, is almost exclusively used by the Apostle Paul. We don’t know of any other place that it’s used, but we always stand to be corrected, but think it is a Pauline term. Now let’s go back to Romans chapter 3, and we’ll just build on this whole premise, that now we have reconciliation as a part of our redemption which is designed to lead us to the salvation experience, or the second blessing. Remember that we all have to come through the first estate or first blessing, where we now receive the Holy Spirit, unlike the nation of Israel they did not have that blessing as we now do because Jesus and of the cross.
We suppose that it never hurts to define terms does it? What does it mean to be reconciled? Well the best place we can use it in everyday living is a husband and wife. A husband and wife can have something come up that just totally drives them apart. Glenda and I have found over the years that it can be the least of reasons, and invariably it will do just that. We have found over and over for example that a tragedy strikes a couple, and the one that I’m thinking of right now, is their home burned to the ground, and one or the other had failed to send in the payment for their fire insurance, and so they ended up with no coverage. It ruined their marriage and ended up in divorce, because one accused the other. Both were bullheaded and stubborn and would not given in and neither would accept it.
We’ve known others where a child committed suicide and it drove that couple to divorce, it became a dividing point, as one blamed the other. Now there’s only one remedy for such a thing and what is it? Reconciliation. By bringing them back together again, and that is exactly what has happened to the human race. When Adam sinned, what happened? There was a great division that developed between God and the human race. Just like a husband and wife who have had a tremendous falling out by a tragedy, but the tragedy in Adam’s case was what? He ate of the fruit, he disobeyed. Now that’s simple, and through the tragedy of his eating he lost fellowship with his Creator, and so what did they need? Reconciliation. He needed to be brought back into fellowship with God.
Now we don’t use reconciliation as a doctrinal word, as we see some of you are looking in your concordance for that word, and if you find one let me know, because we're just sort of shooting from the hip on this word, but we don’t think reconciliation is a term until we get to Paul. It was a concept, but it wasn’t actually used, but here in Romans chapter 3, let’s just start with verse 25.
Romans 3:25-26 "Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26. To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: (in other words the Righteousness of God) that He (God, Christ) might be just, and the justifier of him which believe Jesus."
Now there in that word propitiation is the first implication then of God’s role of reconciling lost mankind to Himself, and this is His whole premise, it’s His whole reason for bringing about the work of the cross. Now to use the word more explicitly than it is here in Romans, follow with us to II Corinthians chapter 5. And here again we hardly know where to drop in, but let’s just start with verse 14, because this is just too serious a subject to take lightly. This whole idea that God wants to reconcile lost humanity to Himself and bring us into full fellowship as a husband and wife who have been estranged and are brought back together. That’s what God wants to do with lost humanity. So this is a good place to look at that for a few moments.
II Corinthians 5:14a "For the love of Christ…" Now just stop and think. If a husband and wife had lived together for years, they’ve worked together, they’ve gone through thick and thin together, and raised their children together, and all of a sudden they’ve had this tragedy that separates them, what spark still has to be there to bring them back together? Love! Love has to still be there to rekindle, and bring them back. Now it’s the same way with God. Remember, God’s LOVE hasn’t died down to a fading ember, it is always vibrant, but mankind’s love is a different story. In Adam and the woman when they disobeyed the Love of God which they had turned to fleshly love or inward and self fulfilling, selfish. So we have to kindle that spark of love that will respond to the Love of Christ. Christ's Love was self-sacrificial, or self giving with NO holes barred, without limitation.
Now again, remember way back when we talked about creation, what was the main purpose in God’s thinking, in creating man in the first place? Well, to have a creature that He could extend His LOVE to and have it returned. So it’s the same way in the marriage relationship. It’s an extension of love, and a return of that love. Now this is exactly what Paul is talking about. The Love of Christ that is constantly being extended to lost mankind.
II Corinthians 5:14-16a "For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one (Christ) died for all, (the whole human race) then were all dead: (and in need of reconciliation, being brought back to God) 15. That he died for all, that they which live (spiritually) should not henceforth live unto themselves (selfish, worldly, or carnal), but unto (positional phrase of being conjoined to) him which died for them, and rose again. (Paul’s Gospel of salvation that we must believe with our heart) 16. Wherefore (Paul says, ‘because Christ died, and rose from the dead’) henceforth know we no man after the flesh (externally the corrupted place):…" A reference to Christ’s earthly ministry. Paul couldn’t keep salvation based on Christ’s earthly ministry of miracles and signs and wonders because that’s not where salvation rest's. Salvation rests in His finished work of the cross and our redemption through that work. So he says in verse 16 again:
II Corinthians 5:16a "Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yes, though we have known Christ after the flesh (as the son of man housed in flesh and the corruption that the flesh contained),…" We hope when we read something like that, that we know what we’re reading. We tell people constantly when they come up and say, "Well I never understood this until I heard you read it." We'd say, "You know why? Because we're constantly making people aware of what it’s saying." Most people just read it, and don’t get what it says. So do we see what it says here in verse 16? Paul says, "I have known Christ after the flesh." Well what does that mean? Paul was living contemporary with Jesus of Nazareth. We think they were both born within a year of each other. I think Paul, or Saul of Tarsus, was a young man of 30 about the same time that Christ began His earthly ministry, so yes, Saul knew Christ in the flesh by reputation. Now knowing Him is not recorded in Scripture until we get to the stoning of Stephen, but listen, old Saul of Tarsus knew all about Jesus of Nazareth, and don’t think for a minute that he didn’t, and that’s what he’s referring to here.
II Corinthians 5:16b "…though we have known Christ after the flesh,…" Paul knew all about His signs, wonders, and miracles, but Paul thought He was an imposter and blasphemer, a magician or wizard - that’s why he became the chief persecutor.
II Corinthians 5:16b "…yes, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now (this side of the cross) henceforth know we him no more." See, that’s why Paul will never mention Bethlehem or His earthly ministry, because that’s moot. The closest he comes is in Galatians 4:6 when he refers to Christ’s birth, not as being born in a stable in Bethlehem, but all he says there is, "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." Now that’s as much as Paul gives us, because that had nothing to do with the message that Paul had for the world and that is, that Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead. In full compliance with the Law and the Prophets, the end or fullness of the appointed time, the completion of the days. See, that’s where it’s at, and so now he says, henceforth know we him no more, and that’s why he doesn’t make reference to his earthly ministry. Now verse 17.
Hebrews 2:17a Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, (like the children of Israel, the people He chose to come through as those of their forefathers where deemed righteous ones for they all believed God) that he might be a merciful and faithful (now a word is going to pop up for the first time in Hebrews and what is it?) high priest…"
We haven’t seen that before. Do you see how the Scripture builds? See, we’re going to be getting into the priesthood here in Hebrews and it’s not going to be the Aaronic priesthood (dealing with the external or material realm), but rather it’s going to be Melchizedek (the internal and spiritual realm). And Melchizedek was not the priest of Israel, but rather He was the priest of the Most High God, which was reference to what people? Gentiles. That’s why the verse we looked at in the last posting was Deuteronomy 32:8, what did it say?
Deuteronomy 32:8 "When the most High (the term of God concerning Gentiles) divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel." So the Most High is the term of Deity that reflects on the Gentile world. Now here in Hebrews chapter 2 is the first mention of a high priest in this book.
Hebrews 2:17b "…that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." Now that word reconciliation, if we're not mistaken, is almost exclusively used by the Apostle Paul. We don’t know of any other place that it’s used, but we always stand to be corrected, but think it is a Pauline term. Now let’s go back to Romans chapter 3, and we’ll just build on this whole premise, that now we have reconciliation as a part of our redemption which is designed to lead us to the salvation experience, or the second blessing. Remember that we all have to come through the first estate or first blessing, where we now receive the Holy Spirit, unlike the nation of Israel they did not have that blessing as we now do because Jesus and of the cross.
We suppose that it never hurts to define terms does it? What does it mean to be reconciled? Well the best place we can use it in everyday living is a husband and wife. A husband and wife can have something come up that just totally drives them apart. Glenda and I have found over the years that it can be the least of reasons, and invariably it will do just that. We have found over and over for example that a tragedy strikes a couple, and the one that I’m thinking of right now, is their home burned to the ground, and one or the other had failed to send in the payment for their fire insurance, and so they ended up with no coverage. It ruined their marriage and ended up in divorce, because one accused the other. Both were bullheaded and stubborn and would not given in and neither would accept it.
We’ve known others where a child committed suicide and it drove that couple to divorce, it became a dividing point, as one blamed the other. Now there’s only one remedy for such a thing and what is it? Reconciliation. By bringing them back together again, and that is exactly what has happened to the human race. When Adam sinned, what happened? There was a great division that developed between God and the human race. Just like a husband and wife who have had a tremendous falling out by a tragedy, but the tragedy in Adam’s case was what? He ate of the fruit, he disobeyed. Now that’s simple, and through the tragedy of his eating he lost fellowship with his Creator, and so what did they need? Reconciliation. He needed to be brought back into fellowship with God.
Now we don’t use reconciliation as a doctrinal word, as we see some of you are looking in your concordance for that word, and if you find one let me know, because we're just sort of shooting from the hip on this word, but we don’t think reconciliation is a term until we get to Paul. It was a concept, but it wasn’t actually used, but here in Romans chapter 3, let’s just start with verse 25.
Romans 3:25-26 "Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26. To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: (in other words the Righteousness of God) that He (God, Christ) might be just, and the justifier of him which believe Jesus."
Now there in that word propitiation is the first implication then of God’s role of reconciling lost mankind to Himself, and this is His whole premise, it’s His whole reason for bringing about the work of the cross. Now to use the word more explicitly than it is here in Romans, follow with us to II Corinthians chapter 5. And here again we hardly know where to drop in, but let’s just start with verse 14, because this is just too serious a subject to take lightly. This whole idea that God wants to reconcile lost humanity to Himself and bring us into full fellowship as a husband and wife who have been estranged and are brought back together. That’s what God wants to do with lost humanity. So this is a good place to look at that for a few moments.
II Corinthians 5:14a "For the love of Christ…" Now just stop and think. If a husband and wife had lived together for years, they’ve worked together, they’ve gone through thick and thin together, and raised their children together, and all of a sudden they’ve had this tragedy that separates them, what spark still has to be there to bring them back together? Love! Love has to still be there to rekindle, and bring them back. Now it’s the same way with God. Remember, God’s LOVE hasn’t died down to a fading ember, it is always vibrant, but mankind’s love is a different story. In Adam and the woman when they disobeyed the Love of God which they had turned to fleshly love or inward and self fulfilling, selfish. So we have to kindle that spark of love that will respond to the Love of Christ. Christ's Love was self-sacrificial, or self giving with NO holes barred, without limitation.
Now again, remember way back when we talked about creation, what was the main purpose in God’s thinking, in creating man in the first place? Well, to have a creature that He could extend His LOVE to and have it returned. So it’s the same way in the marriage relationship. It’s an extension of love, and a return of that love. Now this is exactly what Paul is talking about. The Love of Christ that is constantly being extended to lost mankind.
II Corinthians 5:14-16a "For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one (Christ) died for all, (the whole human race) then were all dead: (and in need of reconciliation, being brought back to God) 15. That he died for all, that they which live (spiritually) should not henceforth live unto themselves (selfish, worldly, or carnal), but unto (positional phrase of being conjoined to) him which died for them, and rose again. (Paul’s Gospel of salvation that we must believe with our heart) 16. Wherefore (Paul says, ‘because Christ died, and rose from the dead’) henceforth know we no man after the flesh (externally the corrupted place):…" A reference to Christ’s earthly ministry. Paul couldn’t keep salvation based on Christ’s earthly ministry of miracles and signs and wonders because that’s not where salvation rest's. Salvation rests in His finished work of the cross and our redemption through that work. So he says in verse 16 again:
II Corinthians 5:16a "Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yes, though we have known Christ after the flesh (as the son of man housed in flesh and the corruption that the flesh contained),…" We hope when we read something like that, that we know what we’re reading. We tell people constantly when they come up and say, "Well I never understood this until I heard you read it." We'd say, "You know why? Because we're constantly making people aware of what it’s saying." Most people just read it, and don’t get what it says. So do we see what it says here in verse 16? Paul says, "I have known Christ after the flesh." Well what does that mean? Paul was living contemporary with Jesus of Nazareth. We think they were both born within a year of each other. I think Paul, or Saul of Tarsus, was a young man of 30 about the same time that Christ began His earthly ministry, so yes, Saul knew Christ in the flesh by reputation. Now knowing Him is not recorded in Scripture until we get to the stoning of Stephen, but listen, old Saul of Tarsus knew all about Jesus of Nazareth, and don’t think for a minute that he didn’t, and that’s what he’s referring to here.
II Corinthians 5:16b "…though we have known Christ after the flesh,…" Paul knew all about His signs, wonders, and miracles, but Paul thought He was an imposter and blasphemer, a magician or wizard - that’s why he became the chief persecutor.
II Corinthians 5:16b "…yes, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now (this side of the cross) henceforth know we him no more." See, that’s why Paul will never mention Bethlehem or His earthly ministry, because that’s moot. The closest he comes is in Galatians 4:6 when he refers to Christ’s birth, not as being born in a stable in Bethlehem, but all he says there is, "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." Now that’s as much as Paul gives us, because that had nothing to do with the message that Paul had for the world and that is, that Christ died, was buried, and rose from the dead. In full compliance with the Law and the Prophets, the end or fullness of the appointed time, the completion of the days. See, that’s where it’s at, and so now he says, henceforth know we him no more, and that’s why he doesn’t make reference to his earthly ministry. Now verse 17.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part XLIX
Well, of course! Because what were the prophets talking about? The coming of the Messiah! And yet as it was in veiled language so was His rejection. In even further veiled language, in Psalms 22 was his burial and resurrection. Then the language was that He would ascend (Psalms 110). We looked at it after we started Hebrews, Psalms 110 verse 1. Where "the Lord said to my Lord, come sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool."
What was the "until?" When He would leave Heaven and go back and set up His earthly kingdom. So this is all the Old Testament prophecy, how that Christ would come, and, how that He would suffer and die, but be raised from the dead. And yet bring the promised Kingdom to Israel. This is what Peter is standing on! All the Old Testament Prophets have foretold of these days. What are these days? The ending of the Jewish dealings of God with them the Hebrews only as He has changed and is now working among the nations (Jeremiah 31:34, Psalm 94). His earthly ministry, His crucifixion, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension, and all right there bunched together. Now verse 25.
Acts 3:25a "You (Peter says to the Nation of Israel) are the children of the prophets, (you are the ones the prophets were writing to. You are the children) and of the covenant which God made with (whom?) our fathers, (See how plain all this is? I hope you can see that.) saying unto (which one?) Abraham,..." If we know our Old Testament back there in Genesis, the same words that God said to Abraham, He repeated to Isaac. And as soon as Jacob takes the forefront, He repeats it to Jacob. Then the prophets begin to rest on all those Covenant promises. Peter is reminding Israel that YOU are the children of all the prophetic writings. We are the children of the New Covenant of promise Jeremiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, 1&2 Corinthians and then in Hebrews.
Acts 3:25b "...And in your seed (the seed of Abraham. Who is the seed of Abraham? The HEBREW! The Nation of Israel. No! but those who come to the same operational faith as Abraham) shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed." (This is taken in part from Genesis 22:18 “ in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” Here the word “nations” is used as opposed to “kindred” in the Hebrew this word "nations" has a base root that means: “the Back”, means: a foreign nation or gentiles, heathen, so the gentiles are to blessed to the same fashion as Abraham, he did not take it to others but rather he took it to heart. How? By obeying God when he heard His voice, just as this passage says.
But, Who was the crowning seed of Abraham? Jesus of Nazareth!! The Christ!! And, in that way, we then benefit from all the things promised to Abraham and the Nation of Israel.
It is just like the New Covenant. A lot of people try to maintain that we are under the New Covenant. We just scream in opposition. NO, the New Covenant says as plain as day, a New Covenant I will make with Israel! This is the spiritually awakened man, the one with God in the Spirit of Christ, one who trusts in the faith of Christ. Or who have the trusting of faith as Abraham.
But, now here in the Church Age, what are we getting? We are getting those crumbs falling off the table as the Canaanite woman begged for, we are getting the spillover. The New Covenant isn’t to us, it is to Israel. But, because of what God did for Israel, we are cashing in on the overflow. This is but one school of thought but we'll turn to Galatians 6:15-16 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.” Now here we have “the Israel of God”, who are these people? They are the ones who walk in the same trusting, that we saw Abraham had there in Genesis 22:18.(Romans 4:12; Galatians 3:7-9, 23; Romans 2:28-29; 9:6-8) Unlike the physical nation of Israel this nation or church is made up of all who would believe the Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. From where? From the inner man, the spirit, the awakened to be a divine spirit of man, again, and by the renewing of our minds, to be receptive of the spiritual inspiration of revelation of the Spirit of Christ Jesus.
Well, we hope all that helps in Hebrews, that He didn’t take on the form of angels. He didn’t use the powerful angelic forces to bring all of this about. But, instead He took upon Himself the seed of Abraham. He came as a Hebrew, and lived as a Hebrew and as a son of man. He lived under the Law, as a Hebrew. So, all of those promises made to the Nation of Israel will yet one day be fulfilled, or we can just as well throw this book away. If Israel is not yet at the very core of everything that God is doing – throw it away!! But we don’t have to because Israel still IS at the core!! Primarily because of her disobedience and hardheartedness caused by unbelief. The very sin nature of fallen man.
Listen, why can’t people wake up and realize. Why is the little nation of less than three to five million people, with no more land area than our state of New Jersey, in the news every day?
But, there is Israel. Right in the middle of everything. That is as it should be! A verse comes to mind. Go to Deuteronomy 32:8. My, if this isn’t enough to knock your eyes out, we don’t know what is!!! Look what it says. Plain language! We don’t have to be a Hebrew or Aramaic or Greek scholar to understand this. We don’t even have to be a whiz at English! We can just take it for what it says!
Deuteronomy 32:8 "When the Most High (the Almighty God, the Creator in His sovereignty) divided to the nations (all of them around the planet) their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, (and put them into their various nationalistic categories) he set the bounds (or the borders) of the people (of all these nations of people all around the planet. Every nation’s border was set) according to the number of (what?) the children of Israel."
That’s what it says. Do you believe it? You had better! So, who is at the hub of the vast wheel of humanity? Israel!! That’s why Satan has been constantly attacking them. Hitler’s holocaust was not just an accident. That was a Satanic effort to usurp and destroy God’s program for the nations.
We'll repeat it. That’s why they are under attack today. That’s why the whole world – we ought to just take a look at the votes of the United Nations for the last 50 years. We don’t know how many have been mentioned. But there have been hundreds of things that they have voted on regarding the little Nation of Israel. And, we know with almost no exception, it’s always been hundreds to one or two against Israel.
Even today, the world in general is coming down on the little Nation of Israel. As if to say, well, just let the rest of the world take over. Just swim out into the Mediterranean and disappear and let everybody else have their own way. But, God won’t have it! God will NOT have it! Because He has decreed that at the core of all of His dealings with the nations is this little Nation of Israel. For He has said that Judgment will start with the Household of God, and that my friends is the nation of Israel.
On your way back to Hebrews stop at Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 35. If this is not true then we might as well throw the Book away and go home and forget it. But, it IS true.
Jeremiah 31:35 "Thus says the LORD, which gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the start for a light by night, which divides the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of host is his name:" Now this is what He says:
Jeremiah 31:36 "If those ordinances (of the universe) depart from before me, says the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever."
Jeremiah 31:37 "Thus said the LORD; if heaven above can be measured, (and it can’t be. The universe is expanding. Nobody can determine the edge of the universe) and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD." But it will never happen. And God has promised, that even though they are guilty of iniquity, yet God has promised "my mercy shall never depart from them." Now back to Hebrews chapter 2 verse 17:
What was the "until?" When He would leave Heaven and go back and set up His earthly kingdom. So this is all the Old Testament prophecy, how that Christ would come, and, how that He would suffer and die, but be raised from the dead. And yet bring the promised Kingdom to Israel. This is what Peter is standing on! All the Old Testament Prophets have foretold of these days. What are these days? The ending of the Jewish dealings of God with them the Hebrews only as He has changed and is now working among the nations (Jeremiah 31:34, Psalm 94). His earthly ministry, His crucifixion, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension, and all right there bunched together. Now verse 25.
Acts 3:25a "You (Peter says to the Nation of Israel) are the children of the prophets, (you are the ones the prophets were writing to. You are the children) and of the covenant which God made with (whom?) our fathers, (See how plain all this is? I hope you can see that.) saying unto (which one?) Abraham,..." If we know our Old Testament back there in Genesis, the same words that God said to Abraham, He repeated to Isaac. And as soon as Jacob takes the forefront, He repeats it to Jacob. Then the prophets begin to rest on all those Covenant promises. Peter is reminding Israel that YOU are the children of all the prophetic writings. We are the children of the New Covenant of promise Jeremiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, 1&2 Corinthians and then in Hebrews.
Acts 3:25b "...And in your seed (the seed of Abraham. Who is the seed of Abraham? The HEBREW! The Nation of Israel. No! but those who come to the same operational faith as Abraham) shall all the kindred of the earth be blessed." (This is taken in part from Genesis 22:18 “ in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” Here the word “nations” is used as opposed to “kindred” in the Hebrew this word "nations" has a base root that means: “the Back”, means: a foreign nation or gentiles, heathen, so the gentiles are to blessed to the same fashion as Abraham, he did not take it to others but rather he took it to heart. How? By obeying God when he heard His voice, just as this passage says.
But, Who was the crowning seed of Abraham? Jesus of Nazareth!! The Christ!! And, in that way, we then benefit from all the things promised to Abraham and the Nation of Israel.
It is just like the New Covenant. A lot of people try to maintain that we are under the New Covenant. We just scream in opposition. NO, the New Covenant says as plain as day, a New Covenant I will make with Israel! This is the spiritually awakened man, the one with God in the Spirit of Christ, one who trusts in the faith of Christ. Or who have the trusting of faith as Abraham.
But, now here in the Church Age, what are we getting? We are getting those crumbs falling off the table as the Canaanite woman begged for, we are getting the spillover. The New Covenant isn’t to us, it is to Israel. But, because of what God did for Israel, we are cashing in on the overflow. This is but one school of thought but we'll turn to Galatians 6:15-16 “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.” Now here we have “the Israel of God”, who are these people? They are the ones who walk in the same trusting, that we saw Abraham had there in Genesis 22:18.(Romans 4:12; Galatians 3:7-9, 23; Romans 2:28-29; 9:6-8) Unlike the physical nation of Israel this nation or church is made up of all who would believe the Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself. From where? From the inner man, the spirit, the awakened to be a divine spirit of man, again, and by the renewing of our minds, to be receptive of the spiritual inspiration of revelation of the Spirit of Christ Jesus.
Well, we hope all that helps in Hebrews, that He didn’t take on the form of angels. He didn’t use the powerful angelic forces to bring all of this about. But, instead He took upon Himself the seed of Abraham. He came as a Hebrew, and lived as a Hebrew and as a son of man. He lived under the Law, as a Hebrew. So, all of those promises made to the Nation of Israel will yet one day be fulfilled, or we can just as well throw this book away. If Israel is not yet at the very core of everything that God is doing – throw it away!! But we don’t have to because Israel still IS at the core!! Primarily because of her disobedience and hardheartedness caused by unbelief. The very sin nature of fallen man.
Listen, why can’t people wake up and realize. Why is the little nation of less than three to five million people, with no more land area than our state of New Jersey, in the news every day?
But, there is Israel. Right in the middle of everything. That is as it should be! A verse comes to mind. Go to Deuteronomy 32:8. My, if this isn’t enough to knock your eyes out, we don’t know what is!!! Look what it says. Plain language! We don’t have to be a Hebrew or Aramaic or Greek scholar to understand this. We don’t even have to be a whiz at English! We can just take it for what it says!
Deuteronomy 32:8 "When the Most High (the Almighty God, the Creator in His sovereignty) divided to the nations (all of them around the planet) their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, (and put them into their various nationalistic categories) he set the bounds (or the borders) of the people (of all these nations of people all around the planet. Every nation’s border was set) according to the number of (what?) the children of Israel."
That’s what it says. Do you believe it? You had better! So, who is at the hub of the vast wheel of humanity? Israel!! That’s why Satan has been constantly attacking them. Hitler’s holocaust was not just an accident. That was a Satanic effort to usurp and destroy God’s program for the nations.
We'll repeat it. That’s why they are under attack today. That’s why the whole world – we ought to just take a look at the votes of the United Nations for the last 50 years. We don’t know how many have been mentioned. But there have been hundreds of things that they have voted on regarding the little Nation of Israel. And, we know with almost no exception, it’s always been hundreds to one or two against Israel.
Even today, the world in general is coming down on the little Nation of Israel. As if to say, well, just let the rest of the world take over. Just swim out into the Mediterranean and disappear and let everybody else have their own way. But, God won’t have it! God will NOT have it! Because He has decreed that at the core of all of His dealings with the nations is this little Nation of Israel. For He has said that Judgment will start with the Household of God, and that my friends is the nation of Israel.
On your way back to Hebrews stop at Jeremiah chapter 31 verse 35. If this is not true then we might as well throw the Book away and go home and forget it. But, it IS true.
Jeremiah 31:35 "Thus says the LORD, which gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the start for a light by night, which divides the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of host is his name:" Now this is what He says:
Jeremiah 31:36 "If those ordinances (of the universe) depart from before me, says the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever."
Jeremiah 31:37 "Thus said the LORD; if heaven above can be measured, (and it can’t be. The universe is expanding. Nobody can determine the edge of the universe) and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD." But it will never happen. And God has promised, that even though they are guilty of iniquity, yet God has promised "my mercy shall never depart from them." Now back to Hebrews chapter 2 verse 17:
Monday, April 16, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part XLVIII
Well we can sort of get the idea, because as soon as God let it be known that out of this man is going to come a nation that will be a vehicle for His purposes, who kicks in high gear with opposition? Satan! See? So that is why we have to understand that all the troubles and tribulations have beset the Jewish people is because Satan knows that without Israel, God cannot accomplish His eternal purposes. So, he is out to destroy them. Now his attach is two fold as he is still hot on Israel's heals but he also infiltrated to Church and has been dismantling it from the inside out for over 1965 years.
Right now today, in the year 2012, why is little Israel under such constant attack? Not just from the Palestinians and their neighbors but from the whole world community. Hey, the world never get on the Palestinians' backs for their terrorism. It’s always Israel’s fault. Well, why? Because if the world, through the Satanic powers, can get little Israel off the scene and as they would like to do, push them into the sea, then the Devil has won it all, and then all the marbles are in his bank. (Or so he thinks as God has changed things as those who are counted as trusting ones as Abraham and Moses were are the true Israel of God, they're known as believers or receivers of the inspiration of Christ, in them, remember Peter when he said, “You are the Christ” and he was then told, “upon this rock I will build My Church.”)
But, you see, Israel HAS to be there in order for God to complete His master program. And it all began right here. "I will make of you a great nation." Romans 4:12-13, 16 tells us that it is through the faith of Abraham. Which is little known or understood because the worldly miss understand its meaning as they do most all scripture. Why? Because they're so earthly minded they're NO heavenly good.
Genesis 12:2b-3a "...and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing: 3. And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you:..." Here is where the whole plan of redemption comes into the Abrahamic Covenant. The last statement:
Genesis 12:3b "...and in you (in this man Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees. Out of the idolatry that was all around him) shall all families of the earth be blessed." What did that refer to? The coming of the Messiah! That the Messiah would come from this earthly bloodline of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and then there was another promise made to David.
Now, jump all the way up to the New Testament to Matthew chapter 1, verse 1. This is just background for the verse in Hebrews, that He did not come through angelic power. He didn’t come as some supernaturally empowered angel, but instead He came through the bloodline in the flesh of the family of Abraham. As we said before if we study “the angel of the Lord” we'll find the Lord appeared many times in that form in Israel's history.
Matthew 1:1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." That’s as far as it goes! Why didn’t the writer of Matthew keep on going back to Adam like the writer of Luke did? We know Luke went all the way back to Adam. But, Matthew only goes to Abraham. There is a distinct scriptural reason.
Matthew depicts Christ as the King! And, the promise of a King did not show itself until the covenant made with Abraham. So, Matthew is only going to concern himself with the genealogy with the beginning of the coming of the King. That was the Abrahamic Covenant!
Now for sake of comparison, turn to Luke chapter 3 and we can see the other genealogy in verse 23. Here we begin with the time of Jesus’ birth with Joseph and Mary and we go all the way back to Adam. Whereas, Matthew went back to Abraham and came up to Joseph and Mary. Just a reverse in the layout.
Luke 3:23-24a "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24. Which was the son of Matthat (and so forth.) Now come all the way through all those names of generations and then we come to verse 31 to see that we are on the other side of the family tree from Matthew’s. Because Matthew uses the son Solomon whereas verse 31 of Luke chapter 3 uses Nathan who was:
Nathan and Solomon were brothers from David and Bathsheba’s union. So this is a totally different side of the family tree. But, this one doesn’t stop with Abraham, it goes all the way up to verse 38 which is Adam! Now, why the difference? Well, we see, here the Luke genealogy takes Christ back to his fleshly origin (Genesis 3:15, the seed, spiritual rule) which was his birth to Mary. Matthew is only concerning himself with the Kingship of Christ (His earthy or external rule) so he only goes back to the beginning of the promise of the King, which was Abraham. See how beautifully all of Scripture dovetails together?
Now from that promise of the King in Matthew’s genealogy, let’s go all the way up to Acts chapter 3 verses 24 and 25. This is Peter preaching to the Nation of Israel. Nothing has changed. It’s just an extension of Christ’s earthly ministry, only Christ is now in Glory instead of being in their midst. Peter, James and John are still performing the same kind of miracles. They are still preaching to the Nation of Israel that they should repent of having crucified their Messiah and Christ would yet come and give them their glorious earthly kingdom. The crowning glory of Israel and of David and Solomon his son. The very thing that their still hung up on.
Look what Peter says then in chapter 3. This is so we will know what we're talking about when we say that he appeals only to the Nation of Israel. Look at verse 12 of Acts chapter 3. They have just healed the lame man. No different than what Christ would have done. In fact Jesus may have passed by this very man any number of times as He entered the temple.
Acts 3:12 "And when Peter saw it, he answered to the people, you men of Israel..." See that? There are no Gentiles in that group. But he says, "You men of Israel why marvel at this?" Now, look at verse 13.
Acts 3:13a "The God of Abraham, (not the God of Adam and Eve, but rather the God of Abraham) and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers,..." How many Gentiles could talk like that? Nobody! No Gentile could call Abraham "our father." So, it is all Jewish. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers:
Acts 3:13b "has glorified His Son Jesus; whom you delivered up..." Now come over to the verses we mentioned earlier. Acts chapter 3 verses 24 and 25. Peter is still pleading with the Nation, shortly after the resurrection and the ascension. In verse 24 Peter says:
Acts 3:24 "Yes, and all the prophets (the Old Testament) from Samuel and those that follow after, (you can name them: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. Then the minor prophets, i.e. Zechariah) as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days."
Paul later reveals that those gentiles who pick things up begin to realize that we're to have the same kind of faith as faithful Abraham and when we do its at this point that things start to change within us and our first estate where God placed us at our conversion and redemption. When we received the gift of the Holy Spirit who is our comforter and guide into all Truth.
Right now today, in the year 2012, why is little Israel under such constant attack? Not just from the Palestinians and their neighbors but from the whole world community. Hey, the world never get on the Palestinians' backs for their terrorism. It’s always Israel’s fault. Well, why? Because if the world, through the Satanic powers, can get little Israel off the scene and as they would like to do, push them into the sea, then the Devil has won it all, and then all the marbles are in his bank. (Or so he thinks as God has changed things as those who are counted as trusting ones as Abraham and Moses were are the true Israel of God, they're known as believers or receivers of the inspiration of Christ, in them, remember Peter when he said, “You are the Christ” and he was then told, “upon this rock I will build My Church.”)
But, you see, Israel HAS to be there in order for God to complete His master program. And it all began right here. "I will make of you a great nation." Romans 4:12-13, 16 tells us that it is through the faith of Abraham. Which is little known or understood because the worldly miss understand its meaning as they do most all scripture. Why? Because they're so earthly minded they're NO heavenly good.
Genesis 12:2b-3a "...and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing: 3. And I will bless them that bless you, and curse him that curses you:..." Here is where the whole plan of redemption comes into the Abrahamic Covenant. The last statement:
Genesis 12:3b "...and in you (in this man Abram out of Ur of the Chaldees. Out of the idolatry that was all around him) shall all families of the earth be blessed." What did that refer to? The coming of the Messiah! That the Messiah would come from this earthly bloodline of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and then there was another promise made to David.
Now, jump all the way up to the New Testament to Matthew chapter 1, verse 1. This is just background for the verse in Hebrews, that He did not come through angelic power. He didn’t come as some supernaturally empowered angel, but instead He came through the bloodline in the flesh of the family of Abraham. As we said before if we study “the angel of the Lord” we'll find the Lord appeared many times in that form in Israel's history.
Matthew 1:1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." That’s as far as it goes! Why didn’t the writer of Matthew keep on going back to Adam like the writer of Luke did? We know Luke went all the way back to Adam. But, Matthew only goes to Abraham. There is a distinct scriptural reason.
Matthew depicts Christ as the King! And, the promise of a King did not show itself until the covenant made with Abraham. So, Matthew is only going to concern himself with the genealogy with the beginning of the coming of the King. That was the Abrahamic Covenant!
Now for sake of comparison, turn to Luke chapter 3 and we can see the other genealogy in verse 23. Here we begin with the time of Jesus’ birth with Joseph and Mary and we go all the way back to Adam. Whereas, Matthew went back to Abraham and came up to Joseph and Mary. Just a reverse in the layout.
Luke 3:23-24a "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 24. Which was the son of Matthat (and so forth.) Now come all the way through all those names of generations and then we come to verse 31 to see that we are on the other side of the family tree from Matthew’s. Because Matthew uses the son Solomon whereas verse 31 of Luke chapter 3 uses Nathan who was:
Nathan and Solomon were brothers from David and Bathsheba’s union. So this is a totally different side of the family tree. But, this one doesn’t stop with Abraham, it goes all the way up to verse 38 which is Adam! Now, why the difference? Well, we see, here the Luke genealogy takes Christ back to his fleshly origin (Genesis 3:15, the seed, spiritual rule) which was his birth to Mary. Matthew is only concerning himself with the Kingship of Christ (His earthy or external rule) so he only goes back to the beginning of the promise of the King, which was Abraham. See how beautifully all of Scripture dovetails together?
Now from that promise of the King in Matthew’s genealogy, let’s go all the way up to Acts chapter 3 verses 24 and 25. This is Peter preaching to the Nation of Israel. Nothing has changed. It’s just an extension of Christ’s earthly ministry, only Christ is now in Glory instead of being in their midst. Peter, James and John are still performing the same kind of miracles. They are still preaching to the Nation of Israel that they should repent of having crucified their Messiah and Christ would yet come and give them their glorious earthly kingdom. The crowning glory of Israel and of David and Solomon his son. The very thing that their still hung up on.
Look what Peter says then in chapter 3. This is so we will know what we're talking about when we say that he appeals only to the Nation of Israel. Look at verse 12 of Acts chapter 3. They have just healed the lame man. No different than what Christ would have done. In fact Jesus may have passed by this very man any number of times as He entered the temple.
Acts 3:12 "And when Peter saw it, he answered to the people, you men of Israel..." See that? There are no Gentiles in that group. But he says, "You men of Israel why marvel at this?" Now, look at verse 13.
Acts 3:13a "The God of Abraham, (not the God of Adam and Eve, but rather the God of Abraham) and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers,..." How many Gentiles could talk like that? Nobody! No Gentile could call Abraham "our father." So, it is all Jewish. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers:
Acts 3:13b "has glorified His Son Jesus; whom you delivered up..." Now come over to the verses we mentioned earlier. Acts chapter 3 verses 24 and 25. Peter is still pleading with the Nation, shortly after the resurrection and the ascension. In verse 24 Peter says:
Acts 3:24 "Yes, and all the prophets (the Old Testament) from Samuel and those that follow after, (you can name them: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. Then the minor prophets, i.e. Zechariah) as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days."
Paul later reveals that those gentiles who pick things up begin to realize that we're to have the same kind of faith as faithful Abraham and when we do its at this point that things start to change within us and our first estate where God placed us at our conversion and redemption. When we received the gift of the Holy Spirit who is our comforter and guide into all Truth.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part XLVII
Philippians 2:5-8 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6. Who, (Christ Jesus) being in the form of God, (absolutely, He never stopped being God) thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7. But (as God, He) made himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8. And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, (as a result of that determining council back in Acts chapter 2) and became obedient unto death, (not just an ordinary death) even the death of the cross." When we willingly set ourselves to gain the knowledge of spiritual things and we seek God by searching His Word to learn of Him of whom it was written. We begin to delineate the word of God rightly, we find that His Grace is the very essence of the Spirit of Christ at work within us, again. As we learn more of Him our minds imagination and way of seeing things changes as we take on the mind of Christ, in the spirit of our mind or we pay more attention to spiritual realities, than earthy ones. Our peace with God overwhelms us and we loose the fear of death as we've become united with Him as in the beginning and we progressively take on the mind of Christ, and come into the Rest of God through the Peace with God, which His Spirit imparts.
Remember, it had to be a death that could be likened to the serpent in the wilderness, that as it was lifted up, so also must the Son of Man be lifted up.
Hebrews 2:15-16 "And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (mainly Israel). 16. For verily He took not on Him (that is, Himself) the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham." Now, stop and think for a moment, how easy it would have been for Christ to become the man, the Son of God in the form of an angel, because after all, there are myriads of angels. There are many references to the angel of the Lord (as an angelic being) in the Old Testament having appeared not to a few but many. In fact He appeared as an angel of the Lord to Moses in the burning bush that was not consumed. Angels power, at least in total, is stupendous. But God didn’t draw on the power of angels. He did nothing with regard to angels but instead, set up the man Abraham. He gave him the covenant that, out of him would come a nation of people and through that nation of people would come this Redeemer, this God Man. Of whom the prophets spoke.
The Abrahamic Covenant is so basic to our understanding of Who Jesus of Nazareth really is, and Who the Christ of the Epistle of Hebrews really is. When we realize that, then we can understand that He did not come through the powers of the angels but through the seed of Abraham and the seed of woman (Genesis 3:15). So let’s go back to Genesis and come forward to see how all of this unfolded to bring about this One Who would become man in the flesh. The One Who was the Creator of everything and the One Who is the God of Glory. The One Whom we are looking to return in the divine flesh, bodily, and will yet establish His kingdom on earth. Though He's building His Kingdom or Church even now within the hearts of receptive man.
It all really began, so far as Abraham is concerned, in Genesis chapter 12. Genesis 12 verses 1, 2 and 3. The Abrahamic Covenant.
Genesis 12: 1 "Now the LORD (remember the word Lord in the Old Testament is actually EYHEY or in English Yehweh (Yehovah) and Christ are One and the same. Yehweh is his Old Testament term but it is still God the Son. It’s the One we know as the Lord Jesus Christ.) had said to Abram, Get out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show to you:" Note: the book is still open on the actual spelling of God's name, what is known is that He was called Elohim, El, El Shadiah and others, the Rah, Jah, Yah, are all linked to false pagan gods of the Sun, or other forms going back to the tower of Babel and Nimrod. Because there's no known history prior to this.
It always helps to understand background. We want to remember that from Adam to the flood was 1,600 years in round terms and the whole human race has rebelled against their Creator, with the exception of Noah and his family for a total of eight souls. Out of those eight souls coming out of the Ark after the flood, the population once again began to explode and we came to the Tower of Babel about two hundred years after the flood.
Now the problem with people who think in Biblical time, they think two hundred years as we think of as twenty. But listen, two hundred years is a long time, we don’t care when it was! Because all we have to do is think back. How far have we come in America in two hundred years? It’s unbelievable, we know that!! Two hundred years ago we were just an empty wasteland and look at us today. So don’t just think that two hundred years from the Tower of Babel to the call of Abraham was just a flip of a coin. No, it was still two hundred years and a lot of people came on the scene in that period of time and they are all steeped in idolatry, in false religion, for the most part. There were those in Noah's history who walked with God and there were those who were righteous in the line of Shem the son of Noah. Form who Abram comes.
God now is going to do something totally different. And, he goes down to Ur of the Chaldees and we think God went down in human form. We think he confronted Abram eyeball to eyeball because that’s what the term in Acts chapter seven implies. That He "appeared" to our father Abram. The word appeared is optomai from which we get optometry, which has to do with eyes! So, we feel that the Lord went eyeball to eyeball with this man Abram and said, "I want you to get out of town! I want you to get away from your relatives and get away from all this idolatry, and go to a land that I will show you." And Abraham believed God!! (he obeyed God and it was counted for righteousness by God, he was spiritual)
Now, that is the background for the call of Abram to separate himself from the idolatry that was all around him. Out of the mainstream of humanity coming from Adam and now we are going to see a totally different group of people. Alright, verse 2. Here comes the Covenant, this is the promise from God to Abram.
Genesis 12:2a "And I will make of you a great nation,..." Now we want to remember back in antiquity, a great nation didn’t have to be 275 million people. But, by the time Israel came out of Egypt with her five to seven million, they were indeed the greatest nation at that time. In numbers and in power and everything else. So the promise was that out of this man Abram would come a nation of people, totally different from all the rest. (Moses believed God and God called him His friend or brother. Exodus 33:11)
Remember, it had to be a death that could be likened to the serpent in the wilderness, that as it was lifted up, so also must the Son of Man be lifted up.
Hebrews 2:15-16 "And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage (mainly Israel). 16. For verily He took not on Him (that is, Himself) the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham." Now, stop and think for a moment, how easy it would have been for Christ to become the man, the Son of God in the form of an angel, because after all, there are myriads of angels. There are many references to the angel of the Lord (as an angelic being) in the Old Testament having appeared not to a few but many. In fact He appeared as an angel of the Lord to Moses in the burning bush that was not consumed. Angels power, at least in total, is stupendous. But God didn’t draw on the power of angels. He did nothing with regard to angels but instead, set up the man Abraham. He gave him the covenant that, out of him would come a nation of people and through that nation of people would come this Redeemer, this God Man. Of whom the prophets spoke.
The Abrahamic Covenant is so basic to our understanding of Who Jesus of Nazareth really is, and Who the Christ of the Epistle of Hebrews really is. When we realize that, then we can understand that He did not come through the powers of the angels but through the seed of Abraham and the seed of woman (Genesis 3:15). So let’s go back to Genesis and come forward to see how all of this unfolded to bring about this One Who would become man in the flesh. The One Who was the Creator of everything and the One Who is the God of Glory. The One Whom we are looking to return in the divine flesh, bodily, and will yet establish His kingdom on earth. Though He's building His Kingdom or Church even now within the hearts of receptive man.
It all really began, so far as Abraham is concerned, in Genesis chapter 12. Genesis 12 verses 1, 2 and 3. The Abrahamic Covenant.
Genesis 12: 1 "Now the LORD (remember the word Lord in the Old Testament is actually EYHEY or in English Yehweh (Yehovah) and Christ are One and the same. Yehweh is his Old Testament term but it is still God the Son. It’s the One we know as the Lord Jesus Christ.) had said to Abram, Get out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show to you:" Note: the book is still open on the actual spelling of God's name, what is known is that He was called Elohim, El, El Shadiah and others, the Rah, Jah, Yah, are all linked to false pagan gods of the Sun, or other forms going back to the tower of Babel and Nimrod. Because there's no known history prior to this.
It always helps to understand background. We want to remember that from Adam to the flood was 1,600 years in round terms and the whole human race has rebelled against their Creator, with the exception of Noah and his family for a total of eight souls. Out of those eight souls coming out of the Ark after the flood, the population once again began to explode and we came to the Tower of Babel about two hundred years after the flood.
Now the problem with people who think in Biblical time, they think two hundred years as we think of as twenty. But listen, two hundred years is a long time, we don’t care when it was! Because all we have to do is think back. How far have we come in America in two hundred years? It’s unbelievable, we know that!! Two hundred years ago we were just an empty wasteland and look at us today. So don’t just think that two hundred years from the Tower of Babel to the call of Abraham was just a flip of a coin. No, it was still two hundred years and a lot of people came on the scene in that period of time and they are all steeped in idolatry, in false religion, for the most part. There were those in Noah's history who walked with God and there were those who were righteous in the line of Shem the son of Noah. Form who Abram comes.
God now is going to do something totally different. And, he goes down to Ur of the Chaldees and we think God went down in human form. We think he confronted Abram eyeball to eyeball because that’s what the term in Acts chapter seven implies. That He "appeared" to our father Abram. The word appeared is optomai from which we get optometry, which has to do with eyes! So, we feel that the Lord went eyeball to eyeball with this man Abram and said, "I want you to get out of town! I want you to get away from your relatives and get away from all this idolatry, and go to a land that I will show you." And Abraham believed God!! (he obeyed God and it was counted for righteousness by God, he was spiritual)
Now, that is the background for the call of Abram to separate himself from the idolatry that was all around him. Out of the mainstream of humanity coming from Adam and now we are going to see a totally different group of people. Alright, verse 2. Here comes the Covenant, this is the promise from God to Abram.
Genesis 12:2a "And I will make of you a great nation,..." Now we want to remember back in antiquity, a great nation didn’t have to be 275 million people. But, by the time Israel came out of Egypt with her five to seven million, they were indeed the greatest nation at that time. In numbers and in power and everything else. So the promise was that out of this man Abram would come a nation of people, totally different from all the rest. (Moses believed God and God called him His friend or brother. Exodus 33:11)
Saturday, April 14, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part XLVI
Ephesians 3:9-10 "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, (the secrets that had been revealed to this Apostle) which from the beginning of the world (ages) has been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10. To the intent (it is not an accident. Everything has its purpose) that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church (the spiritual Body of Christ) the manifold wisdom of God," Just what does that word manifold mean? If we have a manifold on your engine, what is it? All the different ducts out of which our exhaust flows. Manifold – many! Not just one. If we have an eight cylinder engine, we are going to have eight. If sixteen cylinder, we will have sixteen. Alright, this is manifold! It’s just so numerous. We take it all in by faith rather than to contemplating or rationalizing it. Now, one more verse before we go back to Hebrews. All of this is:
Ephesians 3:11 "According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our LORD:" Who purposed it? God did! Who set the whole thing in motion? God did! Another verse comes to mind, wasn’t going to use it, but it is appropriate. Acts chapter 2, jump in at verse 23. Oh, what a verse! Again, we don’t think we can contemplate it all, it is just beyond us! Acts chapter 2 verse 23, this is Peter preaching to the Nation of Israel. He says it in verse 22 – Ye men of Israel!
Acts 2:23 "Him, (speaking of Jesus of Nazareth) being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:" Think of that a minute. When we taught in Acts, we used the word counsel as it was spelled "council." But it is counsel. You know the difference.
The council is the group and the counsel is what comes out of that group. So we are still alright! We didn’t feel guilty! We still feel it is appropriate, because you see the council would have been the triune God, Elohim, way back in eternity past. They came together and in that council of the three, the end counsel was that they would create the universe. They would put a little planet down at the tip of the Milky Way and on that little planet they would put two people and they would set the whole ball of wax in motion. Now we know that the milky way was formed when Satan's host was cast out of Heaven and struck the glassy sea or emerald sea which broke a part but thats for another time and another lesson.
That’s what came out of that original determining council of God. Isn’t it amazing. How He left men and nations with total freedom. They sign treaties and they build armies, and Navies and Air Forces and all of that. Total freedom! And, yet here we are 10,000 plus years after all of that began and it is right on God’s timetable! How did He do it? We can’t explain it! But, we believe it!
He hasn’t made puppets out of anybody. But, here the world is after 6,000 plus years, just exactly where this book says it would be. And all determined by that original council of God. Mind boggling, isn’t it? Yes it is! It is unsearchable!! Back to Hebrews chapter 2, verse 14.
Hebrews 2:14a "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same;..." He became flesh. A human. As the second Adam much of what Jesus did was in the way that the first Adam being a divine being an angel could have lived by dependency on God but changed God's program. By an act of free will and that is why it requires an act of free will to now enter the second blessing after entering the first. When we receive the Holy Spirit as our trainer and teacher in the way to Truth. Remember that He was the First in a long line who would find the key and unlock the secret of Gods Grace. We’ve stressed that so often. He was totally God. He could still the wind and the waves of Galilee. He could raise a dead Lazarus. Yet, He was totally human. He got hungry! He got tired! He wept! Why? Because the human part of Him sorrowed just like Mary and Martha did. He was totally human but still of the divine nature and character, just as Adam was before he sinned. He became the son of man as spoken of in Ezekiel.
What Hebrews is showing, is that the God Who created everything is also the God Who took on human flesh and became the man from Glory. That is why Paul writes to Timothy that we have One Mediator between God and men, Who? The man, Christ Jesus! The MAN, Christ Jesus. The man in Glory. So now He also took part of flesh and blood:
Hebrews 2:14b "...that through death He might destroy him (Satan) that had the power of death, that is, the devil:" We previously mentioned the fact that the only way we can get new life is to confront it with death! Death is the only thing that can precipitate new life. All through the plant world. In fact it was Light that separated the darkness and chaos of this world order before creation began Genesis chapter 1 verses 1-3. There is a mystery coupled with this Light and John in Chapter 1 ties it to Christ Jesus as being the same Light which the world can't comprehend because without this Light there is no life of any kind.
Well, we see it is the same way with Christ. There was only one way that He could remove sin and death from the human experience. What was it? He had to die. He HAD to die. He had to overcome sin and death with death. Life is in the blood. So what had to happen? He had to shed it. He had to shed mans blood. Here is a mystery, Adam the spiritual angle man (made of flesh and bone but with the very nature of God in him) did not have blood as we know it in him, (he had the very glory of God flowing in him) as a spirit does not have blood. For proof look at Christ's manifestations after His resurrection. What did He tell the disciples? (Luke 24:36-39) And so it is His shed blood then that became the very linchpin tied to the door of the cross our alter for our plan of redemption and our soon coming salvation. When this mortal body will be changed into the immortal incorruptible body, we'll shed the blood and our body will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye.
This is also the mystery of the new birth from above, birth into Christ by virtue of the Light causing New Life in order to be regenerated (of the seed hidden deep within mans soul) again in this body of sin and death. Then we grow from glory to glory into the likeness or image of God in Christ again as at the beginning.
Now we have one more verse we use quite often. Back up a few pages to Philippians chapter 2, starting at verse 5. Oh, this says it so explicitly. Paul writes.
Ephesians 3:11 "According to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our LORD:" Who purposed it? God did! Who set the whole thing in motion? God did! Another verse comes to mind, wasn’t going to use it, but it is appropriate. Acts chapter 2, jump in at verse 23. Oh, what a verse! Again, we don’t think we can contemplate it all, it is just beyond us! Acts chapter 2 verse 23, this is Peter preaching to the Nation of Israel. He says it in verse 22 – Ye men of Israel!
Acts 2:23 "Him, (speaking of Jesus of Nazareth) being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:" Think of that a minute. When we taught in Acts, we used the word counsel as it was spelled "council." But it is counsel. You know the difference.
The council is the group and the counsel is what comes out of that group. So we are still alright! We didn’t feel guilty! We still feel it is appropriate, because you see the council would have been the triune God, Elohim, way back in eternity past. They came together and in that council of the three, the end counsel was that they would create the universe. They would put a little planet down at the tip of the Milky Way and on that little planet they would put two people and they would set the whole ball of wax in motion. Now we know that the milky way was formed when Satan's host was cast out of Heaven and struck the glassy sea or emerald sea which broke a part but thats for another time and another lesson.
That’s what came out of that original determining council of God. Isn’t it amazing. How He left men and nations with total freedom. They sign treaties and they build armies, and Navies and Air Forces and all of that. Total freedom! And, yet here we are 10,000 plus years after all of that began and it is right on God’s timetable! How did He do it? We can’t explain it! But, we believe it!
He hasn’t made puppets out of anybody. But, here the world is after 6,000 plus years, just exactly where this book says it would be. And all determined by that original council of God. Mind boggling, isn’t it? Yes it is! It is unsearchable!! Back to Hebrews chapter 2, verse 14.
Hebrews 2:14a "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same;..." He became flesh. A human. As the second Adam much of what Jesus did was in the way that the first Adam being a divine being an angel could have lived by dependency on God but changed God's program. By an act of free will and that is why it requires an act of free will to now enter the second blessing after entering the first. When we receive the Holy Spirit as our trainer and teacher in the way to Truth. Remember that He was the First in a long line who would find the key and unlock the secret of Gods Grace. We’ve stressed that so often. He was totally God. He could still the wind and the waves of Galilee. He could raise a dead Lazarus. Yet, He was totally human. He got hungry! He got tired! He wept! Why? Because the human part of Him sorrowed just like Mary and Martha did. He was totally human but still of the divine nature and character, just as Adam was before he sinned. He became the son of man as spoken of in Ezekiel.
What Hebrews is showing, is that the God Who created everything is also the God Who took on human flesh and became the man from Glory. That is why Paul writes to Timothy that we have One Mediator between God and men, Who? The man, Christ Jesus! The MAN, Christ Jesus. The man in Glory. So now He also took part of flesh and blood:
Hebrews 2:14b "...that through death He might destroy him (Satan) that had the power of death, that is, the devil:" We previously mentioned the fact that the only way we can get new life is to confront it with death! Death is the only thing that can precipitate new life. All through the plant world. In fact it was Light that separated the darkness and chaos of this world order before creation began Genesis chapter 1 verses 1-3. There is a mystery coupled with this Light and John in Chapter 1 ties it to Christ Jesus as being the same Light which the world can't comprehend because without this Light there is no life of any kind.
Well, we see it is the same way with Christ. There was only one way that He could remove sin and death from the human experience. What was it? He had to die. He HAD to die. He had to overcome sin and death with death. Life is in the blood. So what had to happen? He had to shed it. He had to shed mans blood. Here is a mystery, Adam the spiritual angle man (made of flesh and bone but with the very nature of God in him) did not have blood as we know it in him, (he had the very glory of God flowing in him) as a spirit does not have blood. For proof look at Christ's manifestations after His resurrection. What did He tell the disciples? (Luke 24:36-39) And so it is His shed blood then that became the very linchpin tied to the door of the cross our alter for our plan of redemption and our soon coming salvation. When this mortal body will be changed into the immortal incorruptible body, we'll shed the blood and our body will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye.
This is also the mystery of the new birth from above, birth into Christ by virtue of the Light causing New Life in order to be regenerated (of the seed hidden deep within mans soul) again in this body of sin and death. Then we grow from glory to glory into the likeness or image of God in Christ again as at the beginning.
Now we have one more verse we use quite often. Back up a few pages to Philippians chapter 2, starting at verse 5. Oh, this says it so explicitly. Paul writes.
Friday, April 13, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part XLV
Matthew 25:32b "...and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats:" That is a simile! Just like a shepherd will divide sheep from goats, Christ is going to separate the lost from all these nations (which are usually seen as just Gentiles but we know that there remains a remnant who are Hebrews still the scattered), from the saved. The saved are likened to the sheep and the lost to the goats. That’s all it is, just a simile. What saddens us is knowing just how many out there that are of the deception and remain deceived into listening and believing to what is called another gospel. Though it sounds right it is but anti-Christ in its very nature. Now verse 33.
Matthew 25:33 "And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left." Now here it comes, verse 34!
Matthew 25:34 "Then shall the (The King! Because it says, He’s going to sit on the throne of His Glory.) King says to them on His right hand (the side of strength), Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom (the one He is setting up on earth, NO His place at this time His Spiritual Kingdom which is the greater of kingdoms) prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" This is what the whole program of God has been working toward. The day when Christ would set up His glorious Kingdom promised primarily to the Nation of Israel, the Hebrews. His Kingdom is Spiritual and has always been so. Just few there are who awake to this Truth of Fact, Israel looked outward as has the whole of the church world under Satan's deception, they've not looked inward. Then He says in verse 35.
Matthew 25:35-36 "For I was an hungry, and you gave me meat (food), I was thirsty and you gave me drink: I was a stranger and you took me in:" And so forth as it continues in verse 37.
Matthew 25:37-39 "Then shall the righteous (these believers, those who become spiritually awake) answer him, saying Lord, when did we find you hungry, and fed you? Or thirsty, and gave you drink? 38. When did we find you a stranger, and toke you in? or naked, and clothed you? 39. Or when did we find you sick, or in prison, and came to you?" Now, verse 40:
Matthew 25:40a "And the King shall answer and say to them, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my (what?) brethren,..." Who were His brethren that were instrumental in the salvation of these Hebrews and Gentiles? Lets look at Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, He also did predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many, WHAT'S THE NEXT WORD? Brethren. So from our point of view it is more that the 144,000 Hebrews who were commissioned to go out around the planet, during that seven years. But Jesus refers to those Jewish young men as His BRETHREN! That’s why we know that they had to be Hebrews, a Hebrew is not who is one outwardly, but is one inwardly, spiritually called the Israel of God. He doesn’t call Gentiles His brethren. We are not the brethren of Christ in the flesh. The Israel of God was not by virtue of His being born into the family of Joseph and Mary. Jesus is speaking of a spiritual reality not a physical one.
We just wanted to see how Jesus referred to these Jewish young men, the 144,000, as His brethren. But we never in Scripture see a Hebrew of any status calling Him their brother. So we think it’s a point to be taken that back here in Hebrews, it is just exactly like we see here in Matthew where he can refer to the Believing a people, as his brethren. And that of course, is who we are addressing in this Epistle of Hebrews. Come back to Hebrews then, chapter 2, verse 12.
Hebrews 2:12 "Saying, I will declare your name to my brethren, (that is to the Israel of God, the people of God known as the sons of God) in the midst of the church (we prefer the word assembly, the ekklēsia, ek-klay-see'-ah ) will I sing praise to you." Verse 13.
Hebrews 2:13 "And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children (the born ones, spiritually birthed) which God has given Me." We think most of us who are Bible students, know there is one chapter in our New Testament where we see Jesus referring to those who were given Him. Remember where it was? John 17. In His high priestly prayer, what did He pray? "I thank you Father for those whom you have given Me." Well, we think He is referring primarily to the Twelve, but all of this fits together, that when God makes reference to His brethren, He is primarily keeping the believing people in mind but don't limit your thinking by that thought. Again, He is referring to the fact that all believers who become receptive were given to Him as a work of God (remember Romans 8:29). Now verse 14.
Hebrews 2:14a "Forasmuch then as the children (the offspring, this is also seen in Genesis 1 and 2 where man in first created and formed in His likeness and image.) are partakers of flesh and blood, He also (speaking of His birth through Mary at Bethlehem and Luke 3:23-38) Himself likewise took part of the same;..." Now this is also repeated in John 6:50-51, which reveals the world can become the partakers of His flesh and blood.
What’s He referring to? How that He became flesh, not through a creative act like He made Adam (as a divine spirit being in a physical body). He could have! But you see Christ didn’t just suddenly appear, 30 years old, as a creative act of God, ready to begin His earthly ministry. Instead, God brought Him about how? Through the virgin Mary, so that He could be identified with the human race as the son of man and with the Hebrews in particular. As they were the chosen people through whom He would come. Why? to fulfill the promises and the Law and Prophets.
So, all of this is just part of the amazing plan of redemption. We depend on it, but we're afraid that most of us never really stop to think. The best word we can find for it is ‘amazing!’
A word comes to mind. Come back to Ephesians. In Ephesians chapter 3, coming down to verse 8. This is beyond human (worldly, carnal, natural mans) comprehension, though the spiritual person can gain the understanding. The only little bit that we can get is by faith anyway. Paul writes:
Ephesians 3:8 "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this Grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;" Do we know what that word ‘unsearchable’ means? Unfathomable. There is no way that we can fully contemplate and understand the unfathomable riches and Love of Christ. It is beyond us, it points out the meaning of His Old Testament name EHYEH (I AM) meaning. What little bit we can grasp, yes, we take by faith. Now read on in verse 9 - Paul’s whole emphasis for living:
Matthew 25:33 "And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left." Now here it comes, verse 34!
Matthew 25:34 "Then shall the (The King! Because it says, He’s going to sit on the throne of His Glory.) King says to them on His right hand (the side of strength), Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom (the one He is setting up on earth, NO His place at this time His Spiritual Kingdom which is the greater of kingdoms) prepared for you from the foundation of the world:" This is what the whole program of God has been working toward. The day when Christ would set up His glorious Kingdom promised primarily to the Nation of Israel, the Hebrews. His Kingdom is Spiritual and has always been so. Just few there are who awake to this Truth of Fact, Israel looked outward as has the whole of the church world under Satan's deception, they've not looked inward. Then He says in verse 35.
Matthew 25:35-36 "For I was an hungry, and you gave me meat (food), I was thirsty and you gave me drink: I was a stranger and you took me in:" And so forth as it continues in verse 37.
Matthew 25:37-39 "Then shall the righteous (these believers, those who become spiritually awake) answer him, saying Lord, when did we find you hungry, and fed you? Or thirsty, and gave you drink? 38. When did we find you a stranger, and toke you in? or naked, and clothed you? 39. Or when did we find you sick, or in prison, and came to you?" Now, verse 40:
Matthew 25:40a "And the King shall answer and say to them, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these my (what?) brethren,..." Who were His brethren that were instrumental in the salvation of these Hebrews and Gentiles? Lets look at Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, He also did predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many, WHAT'S THE NEXT WORD? Brethren. So from our point of view it is more that the 144,000 Hebrews who were commissioned to go out around the planet, during that seven years. But Jesus refers to those Jewish young men as His BRETHREN! That’s why we know that they had to be Hebrews, a Hebrew is not who is one outwardly, but is one inwardly, spiritually called the Israel of God. He doesn’t call Gentiles His brethren. We are not the brethren of Christ in the flesh. The Israel of God was not by virtue of His being born into the family of Joseph and Mary. Jesus is speaking of a spiritual reality not a physical one.
We just wanted to see how Jesus referred to these Jewish young men, the 144,000, as His brethren. But we never in Scripture see a Hebrew of any status calling Him their brother. So we think it’s a point to be taken that back here in Hebrews, it is just exactly like we see here in Matthew where he can refer to the Believing a people, as his brethren. And that of course, is who we are addressing in this Epistle of Hebrews. Come back to Hebrews then, chapter 2, verse 12.
Hebrews 2:12 "Saying, I will declare your name to my brethren, (that is to the Israel of God, the people of God known as the sons of God) in the midst of the church (we prefer the word assembly, the ekklēsia, ek-klay-see'-ah ) will I sing praise to you." Verse 13.
Hebrews 2:13 "And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children (the born ones, spiritually birthed) which God has given Me." We think most of us who are Bible students, know there is one chapter in our New Testament where we see Jesus referring to those who were given Him. Remember where it was? John 17. In His high priestly prayer, what did He pray? "I thank you Father for those whom you have given Me." Well, we think He is referring primarily to the Twelve, but all of this fits together, that when God makes reference to His brethren, He is primarily keeping the believing people in mind but don't limit your thinking by that thought. Again, He is referring to the fact that all believers who become receptive were given to Him as a work of God (remember Romans 8:29). Now verse 14.
Hebrews 2:14a "Forasmuch then as the children (the offspring, this is also seen in Genesis 1 and 2 where man in first created and formed in His likeness and image.) are partakers of flesh and blood, He also (speaking of His birth through Mary at Bethlehem and Luke 3:23-38) Himself likewise took part of the same;..." Now this is also repeated in John 6:50-51, which reveals the world can become the partakers of His flesh and blood.
What’s He referring to? How that He became flesh, not through a creative act like He made Adam (as a divine spirit being in a physical body). He could have! But you see Christ didn’t just suddenly appear, 30 years old, as a creative act of God, ready to begin His earthly ministry. Instead, God brought Him about how? Through the virgin Mary, so that He could be identified with the human race as the son of man and with the Hebrews in particular. As they were the chosen people through whom He would come. Why? to fulfill the promises and the Law and Prophets.
So, all of this is just part of the amazing plan of redemption. We depend on it, but we're afraid that most of us never really stop to think. The best word we can find for it is ‘amazing!’
A word comes to mind. Come back to Ephesians. In Ephesians chapter 3, coming down to verse 8. This is beyond human (worldly, carnal, natural mans) comprehension, though the spiritual person can gain the understanding. The only little bit that we can get is by faith anyway. Paul writes:
Ephesians 3:8 "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this Grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;" Do we know what that word ‘unsearchable’ means? Unfathomable. There is no way that we can fully contemplate and understand the unfathomable riches and Love of Christ. It is beyond us, it points out the meaning of His Old Testament name EHYEH (I AM) meaning. What little bit we can grasp, yes, we take by faith. Now read on in verse 9 - Paul’s whole emphasis for living:
Thursday, April 12, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part XLIV
Hebrews 2:11a "For both He that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one:..." Here again we have this whole concept that God does something and we are the recipients, in this case it is sanctification. God sanctifies those of us who are His own, to do what, become one. (How do we become one of His own? not by joining a religious group or by doing good deeds but rather through obedience to His revealed Will. So then what is His revealed Will. That's easy just believe or take His seriously at His Word. His word calls us all sinners and the Laws convicts us of our utter sinfulness and need of Salvation. But we have to become first converted or redeemed to begin the process. For when we've taken the necessary action God meets us at that point and places us within the corral of the Laws of Moses and gives us the tutor or the Holy Spirit today as the tutor for Israel was the same Law. But Israel because of sin missed the mark and did not come to understanding of the tutor, to reveal their utter sinfulness of pride and worthlessness of self effort in works. All works did was to produce idolatry of self and therefore an even deeper sin nature arose in them.) We have that same connotation in Romans chapter 3. It follows all the way through, that the God of Glory, the God of Creation, the One Who is Sovereign, everything He does is based on that Sovereign Grace. He can show mercy to whom He will show mercy. And in order to pick up the flow, let’s just pick up in verse 23. You remember that verse 23 is the capstone of the judicial decree as God finds the whole human race guilty.
Romans 3:23 "For all (every last human being) have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" But, we follow that up just like we did in Genesis. Just as soon as Adam sinned, God followed it up with what? A plan of redemption. The same way here. He comes to the conclusion that ALL have sinned. Every human being, but He follows it right up with a remedy. Being justified! Just as if we had never sinned! Or been carried as a captor under the yoke of slavery to sins influence and curse.
Let us stop here a moment and look at the word sinned:
Strong's number G266, Thayer's
hamartanō
Thayer Definition:
1) to be without a share in
2) to miss the mark
3) to err, be mistaken
4) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong
5) to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin (Genesis 2:16-17)
Part of Speech: verb
it's counter is G264
hamartia
Thayer Definition:
1) equivalent to 264
1a) to be without a share in
1b) to miss the mark
1c) to err, be mistaken
1d) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour,to do or go wrong
1e) to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin
2) that which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act
3) collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many
Part of Speech: noun feminine
Now we'll look at it again in the next verses:
Romans 3:24-25 "Being justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25. Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood (that shed blood of the Cross) to declare His righteousness for the remission of sin that are past, through the forbearance of God:" In other words, through His mercy and Grace. Now here is the verse we want to come to. The word is ‘sanctified’ in Hebrews but here we are looking at justification.
Romans 3:26 "To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: (that is the righteousness of God) that He (God! Usually in the Person of the Son. The One Who fulfilled it all on our behalf.) might be just, (totally fair) and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus." (this is a positional phrase, a placement in Christ. As Peter says in first Peter 2:24 “by His stripes we are healed”, this healed: means to be freed from error or sin, to be made whole or complete. All this means to be restored to perfection in Christ, to having received salvation. We now live in or by His righteousness. Not our works or good works, it is a gift of God through Christ Jesus. And we can find this also in Isaiah 53.)
Do we see the same connotation? In Hebrews, we find that God is the One Who sanctifies, He’s the One Who acts on it and we are the recipients. Now it is the same here with justification. God is the One Who declares us just! And He is the justifier of those of us who believe onto receptivity and then become justified. So we have this whole idea throughout the Scripture, how that God Himself precipitates everything and we just rake it in, don’t we? Oh, we just rake it in and too many times we don’t realize how much God has done on our behalf. Come back to Hebrews chapter 2, once again.
Hebrews 2:11a "For both He that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one:..." That is hard to comprehend, isn’t it? Do we know what that is saying? That just as soon as God saves us, justifies us and sanctifies us, we come into the Body of Christ. As a member of the Body of Christ, we are all what? One! Whether we are rich or poor, whether we are black or white, Hebrew or Gentile, when we become a member of the Body of Christ of which He is the head, then we are all one! As we've all come into this by way of inspiration of His revelation in the inner man of the heart, how? by our being receptive of the spiritual things.
We have mentioned, that’s why believers are never strangers very long. We can go into a home of a believer, who has passed into receptivity, that we may have never known before but if they are a true believer, in five minutes we feel like we have known them all our life! That’s the reason! Because we have all become one. Now the last portion of the verse is probably, once again that which most people totally miss, where it says:
Hebrews 2:11b "...for which cause (because He has justified us. Because He has sanctified us. He has made us all one in Christ. So for that cause) he (Christ) is not ashamed to call them brethren," (We are His heirs and co-heirs/joint-heirs with Christ Jesus of all that which was of promise to Jesus Christ from cover to cover, and more not yet revealed.)
This is interesting! Jesus was born into the Nation of Israel. So, for all practical purposes, we can say that He was born a Hebrew. As such, Jesus could refer to the Hebrews of His day as His brethren. But, as we were looking at this, we couldn’t help but think, is there ever an instance in Scripture where they called Him brother? No Never! Never did they call Him brother Jesus. Never did they call Him "our brother." So, we have to be careful how we use some of these things. But, He could very well speak of fellow Hebrews as His brethren, but they would dare not call Him their brother. That day is coming but for now is not here yet.
A good example is in Matthew chapter 25 which is when Christ has set up His Kingdom, still then in the future, and He is seated on His throne in Jerusalem. This is at the end of the Tribulation. Actually the Tribulation is over and we have begun the glorious earthly Kingdom. He is separating the lost survivors of the Tribulation from the saved survivors of the Tribulation, in order to determine who can go into the Kingdom.
It is pretty well established that the ones who are believers have become that because of the 144,000 Hebrews who are the evangelists during the Tribulation. So let’s look at these verses, in light of that word ‘brethren.’ Chapter 25, verse 31 of Matthew. Here we are now after the Tribulation has run it’s course.
Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory:" (Davids throne) We all know that Christ is on a throne today. He is at the Father’s right hand. He’s the Head of the Body, He is a great High Priest-King on a Throne now still in the Heavens. But, the day is coming at His Second Coming where He will establish His throne in Jerusalem and all the prophecies made concerning the Hebrews, especially, will be fulfilled. Yes, the day is coming when He will be the King of the Hebrews. But, He is NOT a King to the Church as He in it is our High Priest-King, forever. Here, in these verses, He is on His Throne, and He is the King! Let’s read on, verse 32.
Matthew 25:32a "And before Him shall be gathered all nations:..." Survivors at the end of that horrible seven years, when all of the billions of the planet have lost their lives. But there will be a few left, Isaiah says in chapter 24:6. These few will be a mix of believers and unbelievers, as always. Christ will bring them before Him in Jerusalem. All this, remember, is to show the term "brethren!" This is a long way around, we know it is!
Romans 3:23 "For all (every last human being) have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" But, we follow that up just like we did in Genesis. Just as soon as Adam sinned, God followed it up with what? A plan of redemption. The same way here. He comes to the conclusion that ALL have sinned. Every human being, but He follows it right up with a remedy. Being justified! Just as if we had never sinned! Or been carried as a captor under the yoke of slavery to sins influence and curse.
Let us stop here a moment and look at the word sinned:
Strong's number G266, Thayer's
hamartanō
Thayer Definition:
1) to be without a share in
2) to miss the mark
3) to err, be mistaken
4) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong
5) to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin (Genesis 2:16-17)
Part of Speech: verb
it's counter is G264
hamartia
Thayer Definition:
1) equivalent to 264
1a) to be without a share in
1b) to miss the mark
1c) to err, be mistaken
1d) to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour,to do or go wrong
1e) to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin
2) that which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act
3) collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many
Part of Speech: noun feminine
Now we'll look at it again in the next verses:
Romans 3:24-25 "Being justified freely by His Grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25. Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood (that shed blood of the Cross) to declare His righteousness for the remission of sin that are past, through the forbearance of God:" In other words, through His mercy and Grace. Now here is the verse we want to come to. The word is ‘sanctified’ in Hebrews but here we are looking at justification.
Romans 3:26 "To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: (that is the righteousness of God) that He (God! Usually in the Person of the Son. The One Who fulfilled it all on our behalf.) might be just, (totally fair) and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus." (this is a positional phrase, a placement in Christ. As Peter says in first Peter 2:24 “by His stripes we are healed”, this healed: means to be freed from error or sin, to be made whole or complete. All this means to be restored to perfection in Christ, to having received salvation. We now live in or by His righteousness. Not our works or good works, it is a gift of God through Christ Jesus. And we can find this also in Isaiah 53.)
Do we see the same connotation? In Hebrews, we find that God is the One Who sanctifies, He’s the One Who acts on it and we are the recipients. Now it is the same here with justification. God is the One Who declares us just! And He is the justifier of those of us who believe onto receptivity and then become justified. So we have this whole idea throughout the Scripture, how that God Himself precipitates everything and we just rake it in, don’t we? Oh, we just rake it in and too many times we don’t realize how much God has done on our behalf. Come back to Hebrews chapter 2, once again.
Hebrews 2:11a "For both He that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one:..." That is hard to comprehend, isn’t it? Do we know what that is saying? That just as soon as God saves us, justifies us and sanctifies us, we come into the Body of Christ. As a member of the Body of Christ, we are all what? One! Whether we are rich or poor, whether we are black or white, Hebrew or Gentile, when we become a member of the Body of Christ of which He is the head, then we are all one! As we've all come into this by way of inspiration of His revelation in the inner man of the heart, how? by our being receptive of the spiritual things.
We have mentioned, that’s why believers are never strangers very long. We can go into a home of a believer, who has passed into receptivity, that we may have never known before but if they are a true believer, in five minutes we feel like we have known them all our life! That’s the reason! Because we have all become one. Now the last portion of the verse is probably, once again that which most people totally miss, where it says:
Hebrews 2:11b "...for which cause (because He has justified us. Because He has sanctified us. He has made us all one in Christ. So for that cause) he (Christ) is not ashamed to call them brethren," (We are His heirs and co-heirs/joint-heirs with Christ Jesus of all that which was of promise to Jesus Christ from cover to cover, and more not yet revealed.)
This is interesting! Jesus was born into the Nation of Israel. So, for all practical purposes, we can say that He was born a Hebrew. As such, Jesus could refer to the Hebrews of His day as His brethren. But, as we were looking at this, we couldn’t help but think, is there ever an instance in Scripture where they called Him brother? No Never! Never did they call Him brother Jesus. Never did they call Him "our brother." So, we have to be careful how we use some of these things. But, He could very well speak of fellow Hebrews as His brethren, but they would dare not call Him their brother. That day is coming but for now is not here yet.
A good example is in Matthew chapter 25 which is when Christ has set up His Kingdom, still then in the future, and He is seated on His throne in Jerusalem. This is at the end of the Tribulation. Actually the Tribulation is over and we have begun the glorious earthly Kingdom. He is separating the lost survivors of the Tribulation from the saved survivors of the Tribulation, in order to determine who can go into the Kingdom.
It is pretty well established that the ones who are believers have become that because of the 144,000 Hebrews who are the evangelists during the Tribulation. So let’s look at these verses, in light of that word ‘brethren.’ Chapter 25, verse 31 of Matthew. Here we are now after the Tribulation has run it’s course.
Matthew 25:31 "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory:" (Davids throne) We all know that Christ is on a throne today. He is at the Father’s right hand. He’s the Head of the Body, He is a great High Priest-King on a Throne now still in the Heavens. But, the day is coming at His Second Coming where He will establish His throne in Jerusalem and all the prophecies made concerning the Hebrews, especially, will be fulfilled. Yes, the day is coming when He will be the King of the Hebrews. But, He is NOT a King to the Church as He in it is our High Priest-King, forever. Here, in these verses, He is on His Throne, and He is the King! Let’s read on, verse 32.
Matthew 25:32a "And before Him shall be gathered all nations:..." Survivors at the end of that horrible seven years, when all of the billions of the planet have lost their lives. But there will be a few left, Isaiah says in chapter 24:6. These few will be a mix of believers and unbelievers, as always. Christ will bring them before Him in Jerusalem. All this, remember, is to show the term "brethren!" This is a long way around, we know it is!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part XLIII
What’s implied Here? The suffering that Christ would go through in order to crush the head of Satan. All who choose willingly by inspiration of revelation to be united with Jesus Christ, that is to be a true follower of Christ a disciple, again, will also suffer in many ways, for the proofing of their commitment and their learning of obedience as the Lord did as our captain, through a wholehearted surrender. So we have this concept all the way up through Scripture that the righteous are going to suffer for their trusting and for the perfecting of true humility of heart. Paul epitomizes that with the suffering that he went through in order to get the Gospel, (of God's Grace and the New Covenant of Grace, the resurrection is woven deeply into the fabric of living by Grace, in the faith of Christ) of redemption and salvation to the ends of the Roman Empire. Now back to Romans chapter 8. Paul writes:
Romans 8: 18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Now what is he talking about? Oh, we will suffer in this earthly sojourn, much as the Lord was tempted in the wilderness by Satan in the same three areas, in fact this is why we're told to be clothed with the full armor of God, and to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is nothing compared to the glory that is awaiting to be revealed in us. It is also why we're to study the word to have the spirit of our minds renewed to the mind of Christ, to be empowered as He was through humility of soul, that is to say to have a contrite heart, and over came the temptations. “It is written.”
But, we do have to constantly be reminded that we suffer for our trusting in His faith. We in the Western world in the last couple of hundred years have known almost nothing of suffering for our faith. There are places in Africa, and in Indonesia, China etc. where they are. They are suffering inexorably for their faith. But we have it so good that we really don’t know what it is to suffer. Oh, we may have somebody make a snide remark once in a while, but that’s not suffering. That’s something that just rolls off like water off of a ducks back. Nevertheless, it has been part and parcel of the saints experience down through the history of Christendom that people have had to suffer for their taking God at His word.
Even the Disciples, they all suffered a martyr’s death but none of them suffered as much as the Apostle Paul. He really knew what he was talking about. Let’s look at that verse once more before we go back to Hebrews. So he says:
Romans 8: 18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." So the suffering of this present time was precipitated by the curse. Since we are living under the curse, we can certainly expect to have a certain amount of suffering. Because our bodies have not been redeemed and still carry the penalty of the curse as does nature and the world. All is out of sorts from its first estate.
Always remember, God has His own purposes. The suffering we sometimes endure, we don’t understand at the time. But God has a reason and a purpose for it. We’re not to shrink from them. Remember that before we entered the first estate or were placed into the first covenant and under the ordinances and statutes of the Law we had almost no suffering. So the sufferings are to bring us to Christ's birthing, the very place which the nation of Israel rejected for they did not want to be under His divine rule. They said NO to Him and are so resisting His internal kingdom still, as is the church as we know it. Both of them and those of other religions make up the spirit of this world are the images of Revelation in the false prophet, beast, dragon, scarlet or great whore. Repeating verse 10:
Hebrews 2:10b "…bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Here is revealed part of the season for our sufferings, to bring us to the place of perfection or maturity in the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, in those who willfully with child-like trust and a broken contrite heart and here's the key, in humility surrender to God's Will.
Romans 8: 18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Now what is he talking about? Oh, we will suffer in this earthly sojourn, much as the Lord was tempted in the wilderness by Satan in the same three areas, in fact this is why we're told to be clothed with the full armor of God, and to put on the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is nothing compared to the glory that is awaiting to be revealed in us. It is also why we're to study the word to have the spirit of our minds renewed to the mind of Christ, to be empowered as He was through humility of soul, that is to say to have a contrite heart, and over came the temptations. “It is written.”
But, we do have to constantly be reminded that we suffer for our trusting in His faith. We in the Western world in the last couple of hundred years have known almost nothing of suffering for our faith. There are places in Africa, and in Indonesia, China etc. where they are. They are suffering inexorably for their faith. But we have it so good that we really don’t know what it is to suffer. Oh, we may have somebody make a snide remark once in a while, but that’s not suffering. That’s something that just rolls off like water off of a ducks back. Nevertheless, it has been part and parcel of the saints experience down through the history of Christendom that people have had to suffer for their taking God at His word.
Even the Disciples, they all suffered a martyr’s death but none of them suffered as much as the Apostle Paul. He really knew what he was talking about. Let’s look at that verse once more before we go back to Hebrews. So he says:
Romans 8: 18 "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." So the suffering of this present time was precipitated by the curse. Since we are living under the curse, we can certainly expect to have a certain amount of suffering. Because our bodies have not been redeemed and still carry the penalty of the curse as does nature and the world. All is out of sorts from its first estate.
Always remember, God has His own purposes. The suffering we sometimes endure, we don’t understand at the time. But God has a reason and a purpose for it. We’re not to shrink from them. Remember that before we entered the first estate or were placed into the first covenant and under the ordinances and statutes of the Law we had almost no suffering. So the sufferings are to bring us to Christ's birthing, the very place which the nation of Israel rejected for they did not want to be under His divine rule. They said NO to Him and are so resisting His internal kingdom still, as is the church as we know it. Both of them and those of other religions make up the spirit of this world are the images of Revelation in the false prophet, beast, dragon, scarlet or great whore. Repeating verse 10:
Hebrews 2:10b "…bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Here is revealed part of the season for our sufferings, to bring us to the place of perfection or maturity in the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, in those who willfully with child-like trust and a broken contrite heart and here's the key, in humility surrender to God's Will.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part XLII
We have to go back and remember some of the western movies where the cavalry were involved. We remember seeing this file of the American mounted Army, cavalry going up this mountain on a narrow ledge, single file. They wound down around the mountain, down to the plains. But, who had to be at the head? A file leader, the captain! There was a leader up at the head of that long line. Well now, if that can help us a little bit, that is where Christ is! Christ is the "file leader" of all of us, that He came down to earth to purchase our redemption and now He is bringing us to Glory through our salvation! Can we just make a beautiful picture of that in our mind? We hope so!
Then, being the Pauline man that we are, what does Paul say? Be followers of "me" as I follow the file leader our captain, Christ. See? This is the whole picture of mans fall as found in Adam as our file leader but in reverse. For it took a second Adam to come and back track if you will the first Adam's tracks backwards to reverse or change the required out come. Now let’s come back and pick that up in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 1.
Just envision this. we're not a visualization promoter, but, once in a while, as these pictures are drawn in Scripture, it just helps us to get a little glimpse of what he is talking about. In fact it’s just like the Four Gospels. Why do we have four instead of one? Well, because all four of the Four Gospels look at Christ from a different viewpoint, and one could have never done that. Just as with witnessing an auto accident there are two or more views to the scene and each has a different perspective of the events and items within it.
It is the same way with earthly anecdotes. We cannot carry a theme from start to finish in the spiritual realm with an earthly antidote. It is absolutely impossible. But it does help to put several of them together. Look what the Apostle writes. This angers people, but it is what the Holy Spirit inspired him to write and it is just as appropriate for us today as it was the day he wrote it.
I Corinthians 11:1 "Be followers of me, even as I also am (a follower) of Christ." See how plain that is? But for us what does this mean, the same as it did for Paul or any one else of his students. That being that there is only one course of action required of us to enter the second blessing and that is to do as our file leader had done. Surrender His flesh our flesh likeness to death, the only means of separating self and the spirit of this worlds rule from mans flesh. For in the first Adam all have fallen into (S.E.L.F, Satan Elevating Life Falsely) sin and death, so in the second Adam in humility and contriteness of heart all in like fashion must of necessity walk the same path in reverse. How by trusting the second Adams prescribed course of humble humility and thereby enter the promised New Covenant the Covenant of God's doing all in those who will become obedient and surrender their self-will and the spirit of this worlds order unto God by, put them to, death. Now come back to Hebrews and we get the picture, how that the Lord Himself left heaven’s glory to come amongst human men and became a man that He might be the file leader, the chief of all those that He is bringing with Him to Glory.
For us as believers, who have become receptive ones, the second man up there at the front is who? The Apostle Paul! So Paul is following Christ as He is leading us up that file of believers to Glory. He’s following Christ. We follow Paul. The reason we always give is that Paul is human like we are. He had the same temptations, he had the same weaknesses. Consequently, we can identify with someone like that, this is why Jesus came as a man and was tempted in all areas as we are, divinity put on flesh and blood in order to be able to give aid and help in our times of need or weakness to over come the strong man of pride and self-will. But, remember, when Christ finished that work of redemption, He became the captain, the file leader, of those of us that He is bringing with Him to Glory.
The last part of the verse is that our salvation was made perfect through what? Through suffering. Yes, through suffering as it was required of Him so it is required of us as well. It causes humility and obedience to be learned as it was in Him and so it is in us too. Now where does that begin? Genesis chapter 3. Adam and Eve have just disobeyed and put the Spirit of Christ that was within them to death by turning their backs on Him. And accepting the nature of Satan as their lord and the exaltation of self (pride)above all others. By this action they have plunged the human race into sin and death, again death is spiritual separation from God (Elohim). All because of the tempter, the devil, Satan. They placed all of mankind under the rule of Satan and by so doing received his nature, a sin consciousness (the knowledge of the tree of good and evil or a mind set on worldly or earthy things, the bestial nature) and fear of death's sting. It was through the Levitical Law that the knowledge of sins (the utter sinfulness of sin) hold was to be revealed as this Law gave NO means of or for redemption but only exacted death for disobedience, unbelief and sin.
Genesis 3:14a "And the LORD God..." God the Son, in His Old Testament personality is confronting Satan and look what He tells him. This is the first promise of a line of the redemption from Genesis all the way up through the finished work on the Cross. And the beginning of the work of the risen Lord the Spirit from His place in Glory as seen in Acts chapter 9.
Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; (Christ is the seed of the man hidden deep within the soul, asleep) it (the seed of the woman) shall bruise your head, (Christ defeated Satan by crushing his head with the death of mans flesh and the giving or shedding of blood [for life was in the blood], burial and resurrection. But did Satan get his licks in? You bet he did! And here’s the prophecy of it) and you (the Lord says to Satan) shall bruise his heel." (the nail driven through the Lords heels)Now we have the power to follow suit in the same fashion as we bruise Satan's head when we willingly surrender self and the spirit of this worlds order to death. When we see by way of divine revelation the true meaning and purpose of the Lord Jesus and what it is that He accomplished for all.
Then, being the Pauline man that we are, what does Paul say? Be followers of "me" as I follow the file leader our captain, Christ. See? This is the whole picture of mans fall as found in Adam as our file leader but in reverse. For it took a second Adam to come and back track if you will the first Adam's tracks backwards to reverse or change the required out come. Now let’s come back and pick that up in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 1.
Just envision this. we're not a visualization promoter, but, once in a while, as these pictures are drawn in Scripture, it just helps us to get a little glimpse of what he is talking about. In fact it’s just like the Four Gospels. Why do we have four instead of one? Well, because all four of the Four Gospels look at Christ from a different viewpoint, and one could have never done that. Just as with witnessing an auto accident there are two or more views to the scene and each has a different perspective of the events and items within it.
It is the same way with earthly anecdotes. We cannot carry a theme from start to finish in the spiritual realm with an earthly antidote. It is absolutely impossible. But it does help to put several of them together. Look what the Apostle writes. This angers people, but it is what the Holy Spirit inspired him to write and it is just as appropriate for us today as it was the day he wrote it.
I Corinthians 11:1 "Be followers of me, even as I also am (a follower) of Christ." See how plain that is? But for us what does this mean, the same as it did for Paul or any one else of his students. That being that there is only one course of action required of us to enter the second blessing and that is to do as our file leader had done. Surrender His flesh our flesh likeness to death, the only means of separating self and the spirit of this worlds rule from mans flesh. For in the first Adam all have fallen into (S.E.L.F, Satan Elevating Life Falsely) sin and death, so in the second Adam in humility and contriteness of heart all in like fashion must of necessity walk the same path in reverse. How by trusting the second Adams prescribed course of humble humility and thereby enter the promised New Covenant the Covenant of God's doing all in those who will become obedient and surrender their self-will and the spirit of this worlds order unto God by, put them to, death. Now come back to Hebrews and we get the picture, how that the Lord Himself left heaven’s glory to come amongst human men and became a man that He might be the file leader, the chief of all those that He is bringing with Him to Glory.
For us as believers, who have become receptive ones, the second man up there at the front is who? The Apostle Paul! So Paul is following Christ as He is leading us up that file of believers to Glory. He’s following Christ. We follow Paul. The reason we always give is that Paul is human like we are. He had the same temptations, he had the same weaknesses. Consequently, we can identify with someone like that, this is why Jesus came as a man and was tempted in all areas as we are, divinity put on flesh and blood in order to be able to give aid and help in our times of need or weakness to over come the strong man of pride and self-will. But, remember, when Christ finished that work of redemption, He became the captain, the file leader, of those of us that He is bringing with Him to Glory.
The last part of the verse is that our salvation was made perfect through what? Through suffering. Yes, through suffering as it was required of Him so it is required of us as well. It causes humility and obedience to be learned as it was in Him and so it is in us too. Now where does that begin? Genesis chapter 3. Adam and Eve have just disobeyed and put the Spirit of Christ that was within them to death by turning their backs on Him. And accepting the nature of Satan as their lord and the exaltation of self (pride)above all others. By this action they have plunged the human race into sin and death, again death is spiritual separation from God (Elohim). All because of the tempter, the devil, Satan. They placed all of mankind under the rule of Satan and by so doing received his nature, a sin consciousness (the knowledge of the tree of good and evil or a mind set on worldly or earthy things, the bestial nature) and fear of death's sting. It was through the Levitical Law that the knowledge of sins (the utter sinfulness of sin) hold was to be revealed as this Law gave NO means of or for redemption but only exacted death for disobedience, unbelief and sin.
Genesis 3:14a "And the LORD God..." God the Son, in His Old Testament personality is confronting Satan and look what He tells him. This is the first promise of a line of the redemption from Genesis all the way up through the finished work on the Cross. And the beginning of the work of the risen Lord the Spirit from His place in Glory as seen in Acts chapter 9.
Genesis 3:15 "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; (Christ is the seed of the man hidden deep within the soul, asleep) it (the seed of the woman) shall bruise your head, (Christ defeated Satan by crushing his head with the death of mans flesh and the giving or shedding of blood [for life was in the blood], burial and resurrection. But did Satan get his licks in? You bet he did! And here’s the prophecy of it) and you (the Lord says to Satan) shall bruise his heel." (the nail driven through the Lords heels)Now we have the power to follow suit in the same fashion as we bruise Satan's head when we willingly surrender self and the spirit of this worlds order to death. When we see by way of divine revelation the true meaning and purpose of the Lord Jesus and what it is that He accomplished for all.
Monday, April 9, 2012
The Epistle to the Hebrews part XLI
But we have to constantly remember that even though God is great and powerful, the Omnipotent, the Creator, the Sustainer of the universe, yet He immediately set in motion those tremendous wheels of Redemption. Which all led up to His own suffering and death to bring about mankind’s Salvation.(Genesis 3:15, 21 this before the foundation but included in it, then in chapter four we see the foundation of the world laid.)
Coming back to verse 10 of Hebrews. It just "became" God. It was something that He just couldn’t help doing, even though He is the One that brought everything into being. He is the One by Whom everything is held together and by so bringing in this plan of redemption, He is bringing – now watch the word here, He is:
Hebrews 2:10b "bringing many sons to glory," What does it mean when He says He is bringing them with Him into Glory? Well, it means simply that He left Glory, went down and cohabited with these creatures that He intended to save. And, from their place on earth, He is now what? Bringing them with Him to Glory. Do you get the picture?
Recently we were reminded of a little anecdote. There was a gentleman who had an ant hill back in the corner of his yard. Periodically, he liked to just go out and watch those ants with all of their activity. One day as he was watching, he noticed that there was one very small and littler ant trying to get a piece of straw about an inch or so long down into the ant hole. Of course, it was too wide! That of all ants littlest ant could not get that piece of straw down the hole. So, finally, he couldn’t take it any longer, so he got down on his knees and he was going to help that littlest ant put that straw down into the hole. Well, what happened. The ants all scattered! So again, he stood there in frustration and his neighbor said "What are you doing?" He said, "I am watching these ants. They are interesting, but there is one in particular that I want to help. Every time I go down and try to help him, they all scatter. Yet as soon as I back away a little bit, that same littlest of fellows picks up that same piece of straw and frantically tries to get it down into his den. It’s just frustrating!" His neighbor said, "The only way it will ever work, is if you become an ant!"
See, isn’t that exactly what God did? God knew mankind could never understand Who He is and what He’s done. So, He had to become one of us! When He became one of us, then He was on that playing field where we can understand and we can take hold of all of this. That’s exactly what is implied here. The very God Who "became" to do this, He went down and became part of the human race, so that He could bring them with Him to His Glory.
Now, the next thought and it is just as good! That, as He brings many sons, which is what Paul says - in fact, guess we need to compare Scripture with Scripture, so come back with us to Romans. Because when we use the words "the sons," we want to clarify it from Scripture. Romans chapter 8 verse 14, in order to establish why Paul says here in Hebrews that Christ is bringing sons to glory.
Romans 8: 14-15 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Now here it comes! (another office of the Spirit of God's Grace as He is revealed in the New Covenant of Grace in the resurrection power of Christ that is found within the blood as an endless life or eternal life the power that is in the blood.)
Romans 8: 16 "The Spirit (the Holy Spirit) itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" The actual Greek there for the word children is: are born ones. That family relationship. If we have to become the born ones, then we are heirs! But just how and when does this all happen? Not as we may suppose or have been told by a mere man or mortal. As there are many of them practicing a form of religion but are denying its power or right to work its work in us.
Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; (we don’t want to leave the last part of the verse. Today, no one likes to read something like this but it’s always been true.) if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together." So this is the whole concept then, of the new birth, that we become the born ones of God. we are to suffer with Him or in like fashion as He suffered and until we do we're just fooling ourselves, we're not who or what we believe we are. For we're to be lead of the Holy Spirit and thereby be a witness of these things (John14:12). We become children of God. Now come back to Hebrews chapter 2 verse 10, where we find the love of God that was expressed when He brought about the plan of redemption and salvation for all that He had died for. He became part of the human race. Now this is a whole crux of our salvation message, that the eternal, sovereign, Creator God took on human flesh, submitted Himself to the Hebrew priests and the Roman authorities and He suffered and died for us. Thereby changing all things from an external to an internal or from a purely physical to a purely spiritual.
Hebrews 2:10b "...bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Underline that word captain. The captain of our salvation! It is the same Greek word translated in chapter 12 as the author of our salvation. But here the concept is a file leader, the first in line, the head of the line. That’s the real definition of captain or chief.
Spirit of adoption (πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας)
The Spirit of God, producing the condition of adoption. Î¥̔ιοθεσία adoption, is from υἱόÏ‚ son, and θέσις a setting or placing: the placing one in the position of a son. Mr. Merivale, illustrating Paul's acquaintance with Roman law, says: “The process of legal adoption by which the chosen heir became entitled not only to the reversion of the property but to the civil status, to the burdens as well as the rights of the adopter - became, as it were, his other self, one with him... this too is a Roman principle, peculiar at this time to the Romans, unknown, I believe, to the Greeks, unknown, to all appearance, to the Jews, as it certainly is not found in the legislation of Moses, nor mentioned anywhere as a usage among the children of the covenant (old covenant now dead). We have but a faint conception of the force with which such an illustration would speak to one familiar with the Roman practice; how it would serve to impress upon him the assurance that the adopted son of God becomes, in a peculiar and intimate sense, one with the heavenly Father” (within the New Covenant of God's Grace) (“Conversion of the Roman Empire”). Taken from Vincent's Word Studies.
Coming back to verse 10 of Hebrews. It just "became" God. It was something that He just couldn’t help doing, even though He is the One that brought everything into being. He is the One by Whom everything is held together and by so bringing in this plan of redemption, He is bringing – now watch the word here, He is:
Hebrews 2:10b "bringing many sons to glory," What does it mean when He says He is bringing them with Him into Glory? Well, it means simply that He left Glory, went down and cohabited with these creatures that He intended to save. And, from their place on earth, He is now what? Bringing them with Him to Glory. Do you get the picture?
Recently we were reminded of a little anecdote. There was a gentleman who had an ant hill back in the corner of his yard. Periodically, he liked to just go out and watch those ants with all of their activity. One day as he was watching, he noticed that there was one very small and littler ant trying to get a piece of straw about an inch or so long down into the ant hole. Of course, it was too wide! That of all ants littlest ant could not get that piece of straw down the hole. So, finally, he couldn’t take it any longer, so he got down on his knees and he was going to help that littlest ant put that straw down into the hole. Well, what happened. The ants all scattered! So again, he stood there in frustration and his neighbor said "What are you doing?" He said, "I am watching these ants. They are interesting, but there is one in particular that I want to help. Every time I go down and try to help him, they all scatter. Yet as soon as I back away a little bit, that same littlest of fellows picks up that same piece of straw and frantically tries to get it down into his den. It’s just frustrating!" His neighbor said, "The only way it will ever work, is if you become an ant!"
See, isn’t that exactly what God did? God knew mankind could never understand Who He is and what He’s done. So, He had to become one of us! When He became one of us, then He was on that playing field where we can understand and we can take hold of all of this. That’s exactly what is implied here. The very God Who "became" to do this, He went down and became part of the human race, so that He could bring them with Him to His Glory.
Now, the next thought and it is just as good! That, as He brings many sons, which is what Paul says - in fact, guess we need to compare Scripture with Scripture, so come back with us to Romans. Because when we use the words "the sons," we want to clarify it from Scripture. Romans chapter 8 verse 14, in order to establish why Paul says here in Hebrews that Christ is bringing sons to glory.
Romans 8: 14-15 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15. For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Now here it comes! (another office of the Spirit of God's Grace as He is revealed in the New Covenant of Grace in the resurrection power of Christ that is found within the blood as an endless life or eternal life the power that is in the blood.)
Romans 8: 16 "The Spirit (the Holy Spirit) itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:" The actual Greek there for the word children is: are born ones. That family relationship. If we have to become the born ones, then we are heirs! But just how and when does this all happen? Not as we may suppose or have been told by a mere man or mortal. As there are many of them practicing a form of religion but are denying its power or right to work its work in us.
Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; (we don’t want to leave the last part of the verse. Today, no one likes to read something like this but it’s always been true.) if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together." So this is the whole concept then, of the new birth, that we become the born ones of God. we are to suffer with Him or in like fashion as He suffered and until we do we're just fooling ourselves, we're not who or what we believe we are. For we're to be lead of the Holy Spirit and thereby be a witness of these things (John14:12). We become children of God. Now come back to Hebrews chapter 2 verse 10, where we find the love of God that was expressed when He brought about the plan of redemption and salvation for all that He had died for. He became part of the human race. Now this is a whole crux of our salvation message, that the eternal, sovereign, Creator God took on human flesh, submitted Himself to the Hebrew priests and the Roman authorities and He suffered and died for us. Thereby changing all things from an external to an internal or from a purely physical to a purely spiritual.
Hebrews 2:10b "...bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Underline that word captain. The captain of our salvation! It is the same Greek word translated in chapter 12 as the author of our salvation. But here the concept is a file leader, the first in line, the head of the line. That’s the real definition of captain or chief.
Spirit of adoption (πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας)
The Spirit of God, producing the condition of adoption. Î¥̔ιοθεσία adoption, is from υἱόÏ‚ son, and θέσις a setting or placing: the placing one in the position of a son. Mr. Merivale, illustrating Paul's acquaintance with Roman law, says: “The process of legal adoption by which the chosen heir became entitled not only to the reversion of the property but to the civil status, to the burdens as well as the rights of the adopter - became, as it were, his other self, one with him... this too is a Roman principle, peculiar at this time to the Romans, unknown, I believe, to the Greeks, unknown, to all appearance, to the Jews, as it certainly is not found in the legislation of Moses, nor mentioned anywhere as a usage among the children of the covenant (old covenant now dead). We have but a faint conception of the force with which such an illustration would speak to one familiar with the Roman practice; how it would serve to impress upon him the assurance that the adopted son of God becomes, in a peculiar and intimate sense, one with the heavenly Father” (within the New Covenant of God's Grace) (“Conversion of the Roman Empire”). Taken from Vincent's Word Studies.
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